


One Gate Closes, Another Opens

by CalvinHGatsby



Series: One Gate Series [1]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2020-01-21
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:35:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 40
Words: 40,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21947434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CalvinHGatsby/pseuds/CalvinHGatsby
Summary: Will Byers has been returned to his family, the gate to the Upside Down has been closed, and Mike has been reunited with Eleven. Everyone thinks that the horror is behind them. However, the group now faces a new threat. A scientist is coming to Hawkins and he expresses interest in Eleven. The difference is he's not from their world. He's from ours. AU season 3. JoyceXHopper
Relationships: Eleven | Jane Hopper/Mike Wheeler, Joyce Byers/Jim "Chief" Hopper
Series: One Gate Series [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1609066
Comments: 40
Kudos: 20





	1. Groom Lake

**Author's Note:**

> I DON’T OWN STRANGER THINGS

_Area 51, Nevada, U.S.A. (Dr. Reaves's POV)_

It was another day at work for Dr. Cameron Reaves. He hardly looked old enough to ne a doctor, he was very skinny with short black hair and pasty white skin. If you ever asked him about his job, he would've just told you that he was a theoretical physicist. It wasn't anywhere near the truth, but it was better than just saying that he couldn't tell you. Dr. Reaves was a scientist who worked at the most secure base on the planet: The Groom Lake testing facility, aka Dream Land, aka Area 51. Between the time he left Las Vegas in the morning on a Boeing 737 until he returned home at the end of each working day, he entered a world that no outsider could ever truly know; except through rumor and the occasional shocking revelation...

After he arrived, Dr. Reaves went through several layers of security checkpoints until he finally got through and headed for the elevator. He went inside and pushed the button to head deep into the lower levels of the facility. After a few minutes, he arrived at his place of work.

_LEVEL 11 PARALLEL THEORY_

After he exited the elevator, Cameron headed into the main lab where he found his superior: Dr. Sheldon Hofstadter waiting for him. Hofstadter was a hefty man with piercing eyes and a serious demeanor.

"Ah Cameron, we've been waiting for you." Dr. Hofstadter said as Dr. Reaves entered the main lab. "How's it coming?" he asked as they looked to see that some of Hofstadter's subordinates were working on a strange machine.

"It's going as planned, we just reached a new breakthrough." the doctor replied. As the doctors moved in, Hofstadter pulled out his tape recorder. " _Dr. Hofstadter's log, 12-2-18. 0700 hours. Project VOID is going according to plan. Since the Universal Transportation Device or UTD was completed over one year ago, we have conducted groundbreaking research into the theory of the multiverse. After discovering Alternate Universe 0135, we began with animal test subjects. These tests were partially successful in the sense that we were able to transport the test subjects to and from AU0135 alive. However, since thay are dumb animals, they are unable to debrief us on their experiences. However, the physical success of these test subjects persuaded MJ-12 to allow us to begin using human test subjects. We now begin the task of creating the proper conditions for human subjects."_ After Dr. Hofstadter turned off the recorder he and Dr. Reaves turned to their crew of scientists and engineers. "All right, let's get to work." Reaves stated.

**NEXT TIME, WE HEAD TO HAWKINS. REVIEWS NEEDED.**


	2. Another Night In Hawkins

_Hawkins, Indiana. 1985._

_(Mike Wheeler's POV)_

"You're making your way through the cave." Mike Wheeler said as he looked at his party. "You've almost reached the treasure...suddenly, you hear footsteps. Loud footsteps.

"Is it the beholder? Please say it's not the beholder." Dustin Henderson said nervously. Mike waited for a minute and then looked up from the board.

"It's the beholder." Mike replied ominously.

"Son of a bitch!" Dustin shouted as the party scrambled.

"What do I do?" Will Byers asked frantically.

"Fireball him!" Dustin shouted.

"No, cast the protection spell." Lucas Sinclair argued.

"Fireball!"

"Protection spell!"

"FIREBALL!"

"PROTECTION SPELL!"

"The Beholder grows tired of your human bickering and attacks!" Mike shouted.

"I use protection spell." Will cries out as he rolls the dice.

"It has to be 18 or above." Lucas called out as it landed on 1.

"NOOO!" Will cried out.

"GOD DAMN IT!" Dustin swore.

"Your protection spell is pitiful and the Beholder tears right through and kills you where you stand." Mike replied. Everyone was disappointed as their campaign had been all for naught.

"Michael, it's 8:30!" Mrs. Wheeler shouted. "Say goodbye to your friends." The four friends sighed as they packed up their stuff. As Lucas and Dustin bid their friends good-bye, Will and Mike sat in the pillow fort.

"Man, we were so close to the treasure. 10 hours of questing man..." Will lamented.

"I know." Mike said as he looked at the calendar and grinned. Almost all of the days were x-ed out. Will smirked, he knew what Mike was smiling about.

"Tomorrow's the big day, right?" he asked as Mike nodded.

"Yep, Hopper's finally gonna let El out." He said excitedly. Because of all the trouble that everyone had gotten into with the now defunct Hawkins national lab, Hopper had forbade Eleven, now known as Jane Hopper, from leaving their home for the past year, the only exception being the Snow Ball. It had been a grueling time for Mike. he had been able to keep in touch with Eleven and Hopper and even allowed him to see her on the weekends, as long as they both behaved of course; although it still wasn't the same as being with her every day.

"It's gonna be so awesome." Will added. He had met Eleven since she returned, but Will and their friends contact with her had been even more minimal than Mike's. "Maybe you'll have more time for kissing, like you did at the Snow Ball." Will then proceeded to make kissing noises to the annoyance of his friend.

"Quit it man." Mike said as he playfully punched Will on the shoulder.

"Will, your mother's here." Karen Wheeler shouted from upstairs. "Say goodbye Michael." Will stood up and he and Mike embraced.

"Good night Will." Mike said.

"When you call Eleven, tell her that i'm looking forward to hanging out." Will replied.

"I didn't say I was going to call her." Mike retorted. Will gave Mike a smirk that told him that Will knew what was going on.

"Mike..."

"All right, all right. I'll tell her." Mike relented as Will headed up the stairs.

* * *

Meanwhile, halfway across town, Jane "Eleven" Hopper was at home, watching TV. Chief Hopper was out late on duty so Eleven was eating Eggos and watching cartoons. Suddenly, she heard the phone ring. Eleven walked over and picked the phone up slowly. Hawkins lab was gone, but you never know who was listening.

"Hello..." She said softly.

"El, it's me." Mike said on the other line. Eleven relaxed and was filled with joy. Mike could always be counted on to make her house arrest bearable.

"Mike, I miss you."

"I know, i've missed you too. Tomorrow's the day, Hopper said that you don't have to lay low anymore. You go to school with us, we can hang out whenever we want..."

"We can do kissing." El exclaimed in a soft manner. Just the thought of Eleven's lips on his made Mike feel as high as a kite. He and Eleven had not officially declared themselves to be boyfriend and girlfriend, but they didn't need to. All you had to do was watch them closely for a minute or so and you would be convinced that Mike was hers and she was his. They had only kissed twice: Once before the Demogorgon attacked at the school and the other time was at the Snow Ball. Although, neither Mike nor Eleven would really count the pre Demogorgon attack as their first kiss. Mike had been trying to explain his feelings and there had been no other way. The Snow Ball had been their genuine first kiss. It had been a perfect night and no one had deserved it more than them.

"Absolutely, we can do kissing any time you want." Mike replied. Hopper had been teaching Eleven new words, but there were still some phrases that she had trouble with. Honestly, it was cute, at least to Mike. "I wish I could see you, Hopper would kill me if he caught me trying to sneak in."

"I understand." Eleven replied in her sweet voice. _Typical El,_ Mike thought, she always understood. Even though he had to explain things like school dances and the arcade to her, he never had to explain his feelings. It was as if she looked inside him.

"It's getting late, I'd better go." Mike said. "I can't wait to see you tomorrow El."

"Me too." Eleven said with delight.

"Good night El."

"Good night Mike." As he hung up, Mike wasn't sure how he was going to sleep that night. The universe was finally cutting him a much deserved break. The gate to the Upside Down was closed, Will was free of the Mind Flayer, Hawkins National Laboratory was gone for good, Joyce and Hopper were hanging out more and Eleven's house arrest was coming to an end. Tomorrow,Mike and Eleven could begin their love anew.

**NEXT TIME, A NEW GATE IS OPENED AND HAWKINS RECEIVES A NEW VISITOR. REVIEWS NEEDED.**


	3. Into The VOID

_Area 51, Nevada._

_(Dr. Reaves POV)_

Dr. Cameron Reaves was collecting data on VOID as he often did when he saw Dr. Hofstadter leading a black man with piercing brown eyes wearing a navy blue suit into the lab. Dr. Reaves saw that he was wearing a badge with the letters MAJ on it. Reaves groaned, this man was clearly a part of Majestic 12: the shadowy committee of scientific, military, and government personnel who were in charge of Area 51 and all it contained.

"Mr. Seibert, it's always a pleasure to see you. This is the first time you've ever come to us though." Hofstadter said excitedly.

"I want to see the progress report on project VOID." Seibert said matter of factually.

"We tried inter dimensional travel with canine subjects. They all returned in tact." Dr. Reaves interjected.

"Excellent." Seibert replied. "Any side effects?" Reaves sighed.

"In one trial, yes." he said as Dr. Hofstadter was quick to interject.

"It was an aberration." He argued. "All the tests since have been successful."

"In the trial that went wrong, what happen?" Seibert asked. "What were the side effects?"

"Muteness, aversion to heat ...and depression." Cameron stated.

"What do you recommend?" Seibert inquired as he turned to Dr. Hofstadter.

"That was only one test." Sheldon insisted. "With the exception of Dr. Reaves, our entire staff certifies VOID to be ready for human subjects."

"Dr. Reaves?" Seibert turned to him. Cameron knew that Dr. Hofstadter would be pissed, but it was his opinion.

"We need more time to make sure that we're not sending our subjects someplace that's unreasonably dangerous." Reaves said as Seibert turned to Hofstadter.

"Dr. Hofstadter. I'm going to be frank with you." Mr. Seibert stated. "I never supported your project. We have my friends at the CIA to thank for that."

"But Tyrone..." he argued.

"Sheldon, MJ-12 gave the go-ahead for S4 to build a prototype." Seibert shot back. "They've been making breakthroughs in reverse enginering UFO's and interviewing Extra terrestrial biological entities. They test in two weeks and if your so-called dimensional transport device...has not had a successful human trial by that date, I'm gonna shut VOID down, pull your funding and give it to S4." Dr. Hofstadter was creastfallen as Mr. Seibert left the lab.

"Are you all right Sheldon?" Dr. Reaves asked. Hofstadter turned to his partner with a look of determination on his face.

"If Majestic wants a human trial, we'll give them one." he said.

* * *

3 days later, Dr. Hofstadter was getting ready to send a human test subject through the portal. This human test subject was none other than Dr. Reaves himself. Reaves fought tooth and nail, but it was in vain.

"Sheldon, please. The transportation device isn't ready." Cameron argued. "The data just doesn't justify this test. Now, I'm asking you for the last time..."

"Don't be a coward." Hofstadter shot back. "Risks are part of laboratory science."

"Let me reschedule, with the proper medical staff and a volunteer. If you just give me a few weeks..."

"A few weeks? In a few weeks? We'll have lost our funding to S4 and VOID will be dead. Sometimes you gotta do things yourself." Dr. Hofstadter said as Dr. Reaves was led into the chamber. "Now, you have the return pad, once you're ready to return, you just have to put in the coordinates and you should return." Dr. Reaves nodded as he prepared for the journey. After Dr. Hofstadter punched in the coordinates, Dr. Reaves was being transported through the machine. It was as if every molecule was being ripped up.

"AHHHHHHH" Reaves shouted as his body dissapeared from the lab. Everyone was shocked except for Dr. Hofstadter.

"We've entered into the final frontier." He said as he turned to his assistants.

**NEXT TIME, WE GET TO SEE SOME MILEVEN FLUFF. REVIEWS NEEDED.**


	4. The Rebirth Of Mileven

_Hawkins, Indiana._

_(Eleven's POV)_

When Jane "Eleven" Hopper woke up on the last day of her house arrest, she was filled with happiness. Hopper was finally going to let her go out. She could be with the party. She could have fun with her friends, she could see Mrs. Byers, and most important of all, she could be with Mike. To Eleven, Mike was basically a synonym for happiness. anytime she heard his voice or even his name, she couldn't help but smile. Over the past year, Eleven had hardly been allowed to have any contact with Mike Wheeler; except on rare special occasions, such as the Snow Ball. She knew that Hopper was just trying to protect her and she loved him for it, that being said, she still needed her freedom. As Eleven went into the kitchen, she saw that Hopper had been hard at work. He had made her at least 2 boxes of Eggos. He had piled them high on the plate and drenched them in berries and whipped cream. Her mouth watered at the sight of it.

"There you are." Hopper exclaimed in a joking matter. "I thought you were going to sleep all day." Eleven smiled as she saw the spread that her father had set before her.

"Eggos!" She exclaimed in awe. He smiled as she sat down and took a huge bite. Hopper sat down across from his daughter.

"I was getting worried for a second that I was going to have to eat all of these by myself." he joked. "There must be a hundred thousand calories in these bad boys." This got a giggle out of Eleven who gave the chief a smile that was filled with waffle, berry, and whipped creme.

"So, now that you don't have to hide anymore, what are your plans for your first day out in Hawkins?" Hopper inquired. Eleven hesitated for a moment. They both knew that Eleven was going to see Mike Wheeler. There was no question about it.

"Go see Will." She finally said. Hopper nodded.

"Is a certain Paladin going to be at the Byers place? That's his character, right?" He asked jokingly as Eleven nodded. Truthfully, Hopper knew next to nothing about _Dungeons & Dragons, _but he had heard the kids refer to Wheeler as a "Paladin". Over walkie-talkies, Mike had explained the party hierarchy to her. Will was the cleric, Mike was the Paladin and the Dungeon Master, Dustin was the bard, Lucas was the ranger, Max was the Zoomer, even though there was no such thing, and Eleven had been christened as the group's "mage"; due to her powers. Mike had sworn that once Eleven was allowed out, he would show her how to play.

"Yes." Eleven replied as she blushed a deep shade of red. Eleven was hoping that she could have gotten away without telling her dad that the mage was hoping for a romantic rendezvous with her Paladin, but he had asked, and after all. "Friends don't lie."

* * *

After the Eggo extravaganza had been cleaned up, Hopper drove his daughter over to the Byers house.

"Remember, i'll be back for you at 7:30 on the dot." Hopper reminded her as she got out of the car.

"Seven-three-zero." Eleven nodded as the chief pulled away. She knocked on the door and Joyce greeted her with a big hug.

"How are you, sweetheart?" She asked as Eleven returned the embrace. Joyce always had a soft spot for Eleven since she had found her youngest boy in the Upside Down. She had been seeing more and more of Joyce, on account of she had been spending more and more time with Hopper.

"I'm all right, where are the boys?" She asked.

"They're in Will's room waiting for you." Joyce replied as Eleven went for Will's bedroom. When she got in, she found the boys having an intense arguement about _Dungeons & Dragons. _

_"_ Hey guys, shut up." Dustin said as he drew attention to Eleven.

"Hi El." Will said as he went in for a hug. Dustin the bard and Lucas the ranger followed Will the Wise's lead with embraces of their own.

"Where's Mike?" Eleven asked.

"Oh, he's on a date with a girl." Lucas chuckled as Eleven looked like her cat had just died. "I'm just kidding, he's on the john." Eleven and the party were pissed.

"That was a dick move man, a real dick move." Dustin insisted.

"I'm sorry man." Lucas replied.

"Mouth breather." Eleven muttered.

"I said I was sorry." Lucas insisted as Mike came into the room.

"Eleven..." Mike whispered as he rushed over and held her tightly.

"Mike..." Eleven whispered back as she kissed him on the cheek.

"I've waited so long to be here with you...without Hopper..." Mike stuttered as the party watched with joy. They played _Dungeons & Dragons _for several hours until Mike and Eleven went outside for some air.

"It's been hard without you." Eleven said as they walked outside the Byers home.

"I know, I haven't been this close to you since the Snow Ball. I still get goosebumps every time I hear that song." Mike admitted.

"Mike..." Eleven asked nervously. "Can we dance again?" Mike was taken aback, but then took his beloved Eleven in his arms and they danced on the grass. As he held her close, he started to sing their song.

_Every breath you take and every move you make  
Every bond you break, every step you take, I'll be watching you  
Every single day and every word you say  
Every game you play, every night you stay, I'll be watching you_

Eleven pulled Mike closer to her as he continued.

_Oh, can't you see you belong to me  
How my poor heart aches with every step you take_

"We belong...to each other." Eleven said as she pressed her forehead to his.

_Every move you make, every vow you break  
Every smile you fake, every claim you stake, I'll be watching you_

Mike and Eleven shared a single kiss on the lips as they danced at their own personal ball.

**I SHIP MILEVEN SO HARD. REVIEWS NEEDED.**


	5. Guilt/Reaves In The Upside Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nancy feels guilt for her best friend Barb, meanwhile Dr. Reaves explores the Upside Down.

_Hawkins, Indiana._

_(Nancy's POV)_

Nancy Wheeler was quite melancholy as she drove around Hawkins. It had been 3 years since her former best friend: Barbara Holland had been snatched by the Demogorgon at Steve Harrington's party. It was especially hard today, considering that it was Barb's birthday and all. Nancy remembered how on the last birthday she had celebrated with Barb, they had stayed up all night, talking about what boys they wanted to screw. It was mainly Nancy talking in that area though. Barb had crushes on boys just like any other girl, but she was after a guy who didn't just want to get in her pants. Nancy had been kicking herself for the past few years because the last time she had seen Barb, she had been a complete attention whore. Their last conversations always went through her head.

S _o, did he call?_

_Keep your voice down._

_Did he?_

_I told you_ _it's not like that. Okay, I mean, yes, he likes me, but not like that. We just made out a couple times._

_"We just made out a couple times. " Nance, seriously, you're gonna be so cool now, it's ridiculous._

_No, I'm not._

_You better still hang out with me, that's all I'm saying. If you become friends with Tommy H. or Carol_

At first Nancy had thought that Barb was just jealous, but now she realized that her friend had simply been scared that her best friend was going to leave her because a better offer had come along.

Barb had tried to sound calm and collected, but now Nancy knew that she had been scared that Nancy was going to leave her because a better offer had come along. Then, Nancy had dragged Barb to that stupid party that they shouldn't have even been at.

_Barbara, pull over._

_What?_

_Pull over!_

_What are we doing here? His house is three blocks away._

_We can't park in the driveway._

_Are you serious?_

_Yeah, the neighbors might see._

_This is so stupid. I'm just gonna drop you off._

_Calm down, Barb. Come on. You promised that you'd go. You're coming. We're gonna have a great time._

_He just wants to get in your pants. No, he doesn't._

_Nance seriously. He invited you to his house. His parents aren't home. Come on, you are not this stupid._

_Tommy H. and Carol are gonna be there._

_Tommy and Carol have been having sex since, like, seventh grade. It'll probably just be, like, a big orgy._

_Gross._

_I'm serious!_

_All right, well you can be, like, my guardian. All right? Make sure I don't get drunk and do anything stupid._

That clearly hadn't stopped Nancy from being stupid and abandoning Barb. Perhaps of their last words had been something meaningful, it wouldn't be so bad, but all she had done was blow Barb off.

_Nance! Nancy. Where are you going?_

_Nowhere. Just upstairs. To change. I fell in the pool. Why don't you go ahead and go home. I'll just I'll get a ride or something._

_Nance_

_Barb I'm fine._

_This isn't you._

_I'm fine. Just go ahead and go home, okay? Thanks._

All Nancy Wheeler wanted to do was tell Barb how sorry she was for being such a mega bitch, but she was afraid she would never get that chance.

* * *

_The Upside Down_

_(Dr. Reaves POV)_

Once he pulled himself together, Dr. Reaves looked around and the strange place in which he found himself. It was dark and windy and cold. Reaves hugged himself as he stepped further into this place. He pulled out the communicator that Dr. Hofstadter had given him in order to maintain contact.

"Reaves to Groom Lake, Reaves to Groom Lake, over. I have reached AU0135 in one piece. It is extremely dark and it feels like I am in a freezer." Reaves commented. "Reaves to Groom Lake, over? Groom Lake, do you copy?" As he continued his trek, he saw signs of dilapidated structures. It seemed as through their could have been intelligent life inhabiting this dimension at some point. Suddenly, he heard a growl.

"RAWWWWWWAR." something roared as Dr. Reaves turned around to see a pack of weird looking creatures coming towards him. Their mouths opened like flowers. Reaves took off running. The creatures gave chase as he tripped over a rock. He got to his feet in time to see the pack surround him. He noticed a large log and began swinging it to defend himself. For 15 minutes, he fended off the savage beasts. Finally, they decided that he was far too much trouble and they scampered away. As the scientist caught his breath, he saw a human body next to him. It was covered in slime. The body appeared to be that of a human female. She had short red hair and freckles on her face. Reaves bent down to examine the body further and it's eyes twitched.

"Ahh." Reaves shouted as he stepped back.

"Help...me..." The girl whispered as loud as she could. Cameron was unsure what to do as he pulled out his communicator.

"Reaves to Groom Lake, Reaves to Groom Lake, over. I found a human female, she is in pretty bad shape, but she is still alive. There are hostile creatures, I can't hold them off forever, I need back-up, over. Groom Lake, please, do you copy? I need back up ASAP." Cameron shouted into the communicator as he heard more growling as the pack of strange things surrounded them.

**IS BARBARA STILL ALIVE? CAN DR. REAVES ESCAPE THE UPSIDE DOWN? REVIEWS NEEDED.**


	6. Pull Position & Innocent Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The party goes to the arcade and Mike and Eleven take things to the next level.

_Hawkins, Indiana_

_(Eleven's POV)_

It had been about a week since Eleven was freed from house arrest and it had been nothing but splendid. Now that she could go out, the boys and Max had made it personal mission to show her all that Hawkins had to offer. They had taken her to the local arcade as their welcome into the real world. At first, all of the loud sounds and flashing lights was overwhelming for Eleven, but Mike had foreseen this and calmed his love by holding her hand and making sure that the group stayed near her at all time. This helped considerably and she managed to stay calm for the most part. As the day progressed, however, she began to have fun. It was fun to watch the boys play games. Especially when Dustin got his ass handed to him in _Dragon's Lair._

"Don Bluth makes some really awesome films, but he makes a really mean game." Mike told Eleven as they watched Dustin die over and over and over again.

"Son of a bitch! I hate this overpriced piece of shit!" Dustin said as he slammed his fists down on the machine. Lucas, the cocky son of a bitch that he was, comforted his friend.

"Don't sweat it man. One day, you'll kick this game's ass...but for now, Princess Daphne is still mine!" Lucas laughed as they left to find a less challenging game. They tried playing _Dig Dug,_ but their zoomer: Mad Max, put them all to shame.

"Don't you wastoids have any shame, letting a girl out play you?" Keith, the arcade manager asked as Mike got his ass thrashed.

"Up yours man, at least I have the most beautiful girl in Hawkins hanging out with me." Mike shot back. Eleven tried not to blush as Mike, her Mike, said that she was beautiful.

"OK man, that was uncalled for." Keith replied. He always struck out with the ladies and everyone in Hawkins knew it.

"You started it." Mike replied. After Keith stormed off, the boys and Max went to play more games as Mike traded in his last dollar for quarters. As he did so, he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Mike..." He turned around and saw Eleven looking at him.

"What's up, El?" He asked. She was clearly nervous as she tried to find her words.

"Did you...mean it?"

"Mean what?"

"When you told the mouthbreather...that I was most beautiful?" She asked as Mike smiled.

"Of course I did El, you are beautiful. Your hair, your face, your everything. I love everything about you." He insisted as Eleven smiled wide. She loved the way Mike talked about her. Eleven honestly didn't think that she was very beautiful at all. However, Mike could make her believe it and she loved him for it.

* * *

The lovebirds rejoined the rest of the party as they were playing more games. As Will saw _Pull Position,_ his eyes lit up.

"Hey El, you wanna race me?" He asked. Eleven looked nervously at everyone.

"I don't know how..." She replied.

"It's easy." Mike said as he went over to the controls. "It's just like driving a car, this is the steering wheel. You turn it in the direction that you want to go, and that lever is the gas, you use that to speed up, and the other one is the brake, you use that to slow down. There's nothing to it." Mike and Will each put a quarter in as he and Eleven got in position.

"3...2...1...GO!" The machine said as the cars took off. Eleven struggled at first and Will got a huge lead, but eventually she figured out how to do it and by the last lap, she and Zombie Boy were neck and neck.

"Come on El, you can beat him!" Mike shouted.

"Make her eat your dust, Byers!" Lucas shouted back. Finally, when it seemed like they would tie, Eleven passed Will and crossed the finish line.

"NO!" Will shouted as Eleven smiled.

"You did it!" Mike shouted as he wrapped her in a hug.

"Beginners luck." Max said nonchalantly.

"Man, you ate her dust." Dustin remarked. Will shot him a look.

"Says the guy whose ass I kicked 5 times in a row." He reminded.

"Hey, I was recovering from the flu that day Byers and you know it." Dustin insisted.

* * *

After the party had spent all their money, they biked back to the Wheeler home. Everyone went their separate ways, leaving Mike and Eleven alone.

"So, was the arcade as fun as I said it would be?" Mike asked.

"Yes." Eleven replied with a smile.

"Wait till you see what else there is, we have the ice cream parlor, the town pool..." Mike started listing places.

"School?" Eleven interrupted.

"What?"

"School..." Mike understood what she was saying.

"You wanna go to school with us?" Mike asked in amazement. He didn't care for school very much, unless it was Mr. Clarke's science class, then it was tolerable. "Is chief Hopper going to let you go?" Eleven shook her head.

"Too far behind...Dad says there are mouthbreathers there." She replied, remembering what Hopper had told her.

"Well, some of the kids are losers, but not all of them. You'd really like Mr. Clarke though. He's great." Mike said. Eleven had met him once, when they had snuck her in to use the ham radio.

"Dad will be here soon, five-three-zero." Eleven reminded Mike.

"I know...El?" Mike replied with a whisper of nervousness in his voice.

"Yes..."

"I was wondering, you know I like you...I care about you very much." Eleven smiled as she nodded.

"We did kissing." she replied, remembering the wonderful feeling of the Wheeler boy's lips on hers.

"Yeah...about that. Usually, friends don't...do kissing. It's something that happens between boyfriends and girlfriends." Mike explained.

"Boyfriend and girlfriend?" Eleven asked. "Like on TV?"

"Maybe." Mike replied, he didn't know what kind of stuff she'd been watching with Hopper.

"They do kissing, and they say I love you...and they mean it." Eleven explained.

"Yes...that's why I was...wanting to ask...if you...never mind." Mike stuttered as Eleven took his hand in her own.

"Mike, friends don't lie." she reminded him.

"I know..." He agreed as he steadied his nerves. "Eleven...would you... be my...girlfriend?" He forced the words out of his mouth. Eleven was shocked. She had watched many couples on TV. She liked to watch how they loved each other, how they made each other happy. No one made her more happy than Mike Wheeler. He was the only boy who she wanted something like that with.

"Would you be my boyfriend?" Eleven asked.

"Yes..." Mike replied.

"Would you tell me I love you?"

"Yes."

"Would you mean it?" Eleven asked as Mike took her hands.

"Yes, I love you El, I love you so much." he said as she hugged him tightly.

"I love you Mike, promise." She said as he took her face in his hands and gave her a kiss that was full of innocence and true perfect love.

**I LOVE MILEVEN FLUFF. NEXT TIME, WE VISIT BARB AND DR. REAVES IN OUR WORLD. REVIEWS NEEDED. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT WHEN I RECEIVE REVIEWS. IT LITERALLY GETS ME THROUGH THE DAY.**


	7. Subject: Barbara Holland

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barb wakes up and finds herself in the world of Area 51.

_Area 51, Nevada, USA_

_(Dr. Reaves POV)_

As Dr. Reaves came to his senses, he saw that he was back in the lab from whence he came. Dr. Hofstadter came rushing over to aid his colleague.

"Reaves, are you all right?" He asked as the young doctor got to his feet.

"I think so." Reaves said as he got to his feet. His eyes suddenly turned to see that the young girl he had found was lying next to him. He deduced that when he activated the return pad to be transported back, the girl must have been caught in the electromagnetic field, thus bringing her along for the ride.

"Where did she come from?" Hofstadter asked.

"I found her in AU0135. She must have been too close to the return pad when I activated it." Cameron replied.

"We'll have to attend to her." Sheldon decided as he called for his assistants to remove the girl to the medical bay. "Dr. Reaves, I am putting you in charge of this subject. I want to gather as much information from her as you can, giver a checkup, make sure she's healthy."

"Yes Dr. Hofstadter." Reaves agreed as Hofstadter walked off. Cameron went off with a medical staff to attend to the strange girl. first, they they stripped her filthy clothes and began hosing her down. One of the doctors treated her with chloroform to keep her asleep while a medical examination was performed on the girl. The doctors inspected her body for any signs of disease or defect. Meanwhile, Cameron documented his findings.

"Dr. Reaves's log. My voyage into inter-dimensional travel was a success. However, it is my understanding that AU0135 at its current state is uninhabitable. On a more positive note, I managed to bring back with me, a parallel dimensional entity. This PDE has the appearance of a human female. A physical examination is being conducted on the entity as we speak and I will conduct a mental examination once the subject has awaken." Reaves stated as the girl was put into a hospital gown and taken to a holding cell.

* * *

_(Barb's POV)_

As Barbra Holland woke up, she opened her eyes slowly. She looked at herself and saw that she was completely naked except for a hospital gown. She had been sleeping on a metal bed and her granny glasses were on a desk next to it. The room that she was in was metallic and looked more like a prison cell than an actual bedroom. Barb slowly got to her feet. she was wobbly, but she could stand up. The last things she remembered was being pulled down into the pool by the Demogorgon, no she was here?

"Hello..." Barb cried out to no one in particular. "Anybody..." Suddenly, a tall lanky man dressed in a lab coat walked in. He was carrying a small case and he looked very nerdy.

"Hi there, I was wondering when you were going to wake up." the man said as he stood before Barbara and offered his hand. "I'm Dr. Cameron Reaves."

"Barbara Holland." She replied as she shook the doctor's hand and sat down on the bed.

"I'm sure that you must have a lot of questions, but I can't answer them all; not right now anyway. All I can tell you is that it is our intention to do you harm." Reaves explained.

"Where am I?" Barb asked nervously. Cameron sighed.

"I can't tell you that, not yet. All I can tell you is that you are still in the United States. I'm sorry, but there is a lot of things you want to know, but I am not at liberty to say." He insisted. "Right now, what I need to do is perform a physical."

"A physical?"

"Yeah, you know, like when you go to the doctor and they do a routine checkup, just to make sure that everything is OK. Would that be all right?" Dr. Reaves asked. Barb thought about it for a moment. She wasn't completely sure whether she could trust Dr. Reaves or not, but she figured that the best course of action would be to comply with him and try to figure out as much as she could about him and this place.

"All right." Barb consented as Reaves pulled out the case he had brought and started pulling out doctor tools. The first tool that Dr. Reaves pulled out was a stethoscope. He began listening to Barb's then looked in her mouth, then her ears, and then her eyes. As the tests went on, Barb began to relax more and more. Maybe it was just like a checkup after all. He tested her muscle reflexes and had her do jumping jacks. He then checked her private parts very carefully. Normally, they would have had a female do this, but there were no female medical professionals on hand, so it was up to Dr. Reaves.

"This may feel weird." Cameron said as he put on a pair of gloves and felt everything very carefully as Barb tried to remind herself that he was a doctor. Finally, the check-up was finished.

"So, how am I?" Barb asked.

"All in all, I'd say everything turned out great." Reaves replied as he got up. "I'll have some food sent in a few minutes."

"I'm starving." Barb said. Reaves chuckled as he closed the door. As Cameron left the room, he turned on his recorder and started documenting his findings.

"Dr. Reaves log. After a physical examination, the subject appears to be healthy. Her heartbeat clocked in at 65. Her blood pressure was also good, her muscles also seem to be in healthy condition. An inspection of the vaginal area shows no sign of sexual disease or defect. I intent to perform some intelligence tests soon, but as far as I can see, the subject appears to be young healthy human female."

**WHAT DO THE SCIENTISTS HAVE IN MIND FOR OUR BELOVED BARB? REVIEWS NEEDED AND APPRECIATED.**


	8. The Circumstances Of Joyce Byers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joyce reviews what her life has become and finds company.

_Hawkins, Indiana_

_(Joyce's POV)_

Joyce Byers sighed as she was forced to endure another long day at work. She had always had to work long hours at the store, but after all of the mess since Will's disappearance, Donald had been making her work harder than ever. Back in the day, if you had told Joyce that she would be working in a drug store and that her youngest son would be snatched and then possessed by an inter dimensional monster, she would have thought that you were crazy. Joyce Schnapp had been born and raised in Hawkins. She had been one of, if not the most popular girl at Hawkins high. All of the girls had wanted to be her friend and all of the guys had wanted to get in her pants. Joyce had not only been on the honor roll, but she had also been head cheerleader. She always smiled when she talked about her glory days. She had not only been elected homecoming queen, but prom queen as well in her senior year of high school. She had gone on a couple dates with the founder and president of the AV club: Bob Newby and the king of the jocks: Jim Hopper. She'd had a bright future and she could have had a relationship with one of two decent guys...

A drunken one night stand with Lonnie Byers: the town hooligan. had changed all that. They had met at a party and one thing had led to another and Lonnie had sweet talked Joyce into becoming just another notch on his belt. Lonnie had not come prepared, but Joyce allowed what happened to happen, convinced that no one actually gets pregnant on the first try. Jonathan Byers was the result of that night. Luckily, Joyce had still been able to graduate from high school. When she went to Lonnie however, he tried as hard as he could to get out of his responsibilities. Joyce's father in turn threatened to sue him if he didn't step up, so in the end, Lonnie Byers and Joyce Schnapp were married. Lonnie had gotten a job as a mechanic to put food on the table and Joyce had settled into being a stay at home mom. She found that she actually liked taking care of her baby a great deal. Even Lonnie had taken an interest in being a father to little Jonathan...at first. He had tried taking Jonathan hunting and what not, trying to raise him to be the Hell raiser that he had been, but once he realized that Jonathan was a lost cause, he gave up. Lonnie convinced Joyce to give Jonathan a sibling in an attempt to have the son he wanted. Joyce agreed and to Lonnie's delight, she gave him another son: Will. He turned out to be an even bigger failure. Will was shy and quiet and artistic. Lonnie wrote his son off as a homo and constantly made the boy feel inferior. Joyce however loved Will dearly and refused to let Lonnie ruin his life as he had hers. So in the fall of 1981, Joyce divorced Lonnie and he moved to Indianapolis. So now here she was, the one time beauty queen, worn down by near poverty and parenthood...among stranger things.

* * *

Joyce was awaken from her boredom by the arrival of Chief Jim Hopper.

"And how are we this morning?" He asked as he walked into the store.

"Tired." Joyce replied. "We haven't had any customers at all today."

"That's a bitch." Hopper said.

"How's Ele...I mean Jane, doing?"

"She's a lot easier to deal with now that she can see Wheeler." Joyce laughed.

"You know those kids are crazy about each other Hop, there isn't much you can really do to stop young love." She reminded the blushing chief.

"I'm all right with this puppy love shit, but I don't want Wheeler getting any bright ideas. I won't have him touching my Jane." Hopper insisted.

"Come on Hop, i've known Mike Wheeler for years. He's a good boy. He would never hurt Jane and he certainly wouldn't try any hanky panky." Joyce insisted. "Not unless she asked him to, anyway."

"She won't, i've told her that she is not allowed to be in bed alone with him." Hopper explained. "It's a risk and we don't take risks because risks are stupid and we're not stupid."

"All right, all i'm saying is that Mike and Jane really care for one another and you can only do so much." Joyce conceded. Hopper nodded as he looked around.

"So, when do you get off work?" he asked.

"Around 7:30, why?" Joyce asked.

"I was thinking that maybe I could pick up a extra large pepperoni pizza from Corleone's and we could have dinner at your place." Hopper suggested.

"Well, Will was going to spend the night at Mike's and Jonathan is doing something with Nancy Wheeler. I think I could squeeze you in." Joyce said teasingly. "What time were you thinking of coming?"

"I was hoping, maybe around 8?"

"That would be all right."

"I'll see you then with the pizza." Hopper said as he made to leave the store. However, he suddenly turned around and gave Joyce a peck on the cheek. Joyce turned a deep shade of reddish-pink as Hopper put his hat on and left the store. Joyce had not been on a date since Bob had been devoured by demodogs. However, he would want her to be happy, wouldn't he? Besides, Hopper hadn't said that this was a date. As far as she knew, this was just dinner between two good friends. Joyce smiled to herself as she waited for her shift to end.

**IS HOPPER THE MAN FOR JOYCE? REVIEWS NEEDED AND APPRECIATED.**


	9. Theories: Proven & Unproven

_Area 51, Nevada_

_(Dr. Reaves POV)_

Over the next few days, Dr. Reaves and Barb grew friendly towards each other. He had performed several intelligence tests on her and had found Barb to be of above average intelligence. Dr. Reaves made a point to spend several hours a day with Barb so that she wouldn't be lonely. Cameron didn't want to admit it, but he began to think of Barbara Holland as a friend instead of a subject. He knew he should not be conducting himself in such a way, for fraternization between scientists and any extraterrestrial or in his case, inter dimensional entities was strictly forbidden. However, Reaves simply couldn't help himself. She was simply nice to talk to. Eventually, he found out where she came from. She also informed him how she had been attacked by a stranger creature, she had managed to see parts of it, but not the whole thing. Dr. Reaves wanted to hear more about this strange creature that Barb claimed had snatched her, but he had to take care of the basic details first.

"So Barb, I was wondering if you could tell me a little about your home. Where are you from?" Dr. Reaves asked during one of their sessions.

"I was born and raised in Hawkins. It's a small town in Indiana." Barb replied. This caught Cameron by surprise.

"Indiana?" He asked.

"Yes, I go to Hawkins high, i'm going to graduate with the class of '85." Barb explained. Cameron's mouth dropped as he heard her words. Barb saw his expression and was concerned.

"Are you all right, Dr. Reaves?" She asked.

"Oh yes, i'm all right. I just realized that I never asked for your age. What is your date of birth?"

"September 13, 1967." Barb replied as Dr. Reaves did the math in his head an realized that if Barb had been born in 1967 and was living in 1985, she was most likely about 16 years of age.

"All right, that's very good. If you could excuse me, I have to enter the data with my colleagues." Reaves explained as he left Barb in the cell. He promptly reached for his communicator.

"Dr. Hofstadter please report to Dr. Reaves at Holding area 1. There is a matter of extreme importance to discuss." He insisted.

* * *

Once Dr. Hofstadter and Dr. Reaves had met up with their colleagues in the VOID program, he had explained what Barb had told him.

"Excuse me?" Sheldon said as Cameron sighed.

"She said that she is from Indiana, she believes that it is the year 1983, and that she was taken from her home by some kind of monster." He repeated.

"That's impossible." One of the assistants exclaimed. "This girl is impossible."

"I disagree...Miss Holland can't be impossible, She exists." Dr. Reaves argued. "I believe what you mean to say is that she is improbable."

"She is improbable, then." The assistant restated.

"Not at all." Dr. Hofstadter responded. "The theory of the multiverse, a theory that Dr. Reaves has proven, says that there is a infinite number of universes. Some are very similar to ours, others are vastly different. So, it is quite possible and probable that there is a universe where the state of Indiana exists, and a town named Hawkins exists within the state and in this universe the year is 1983 even though it is 2018 in this one."

"He's quite right, we should be proud of ourselves. We have proved the multiverse theory and we have brought someone from a different dimension to our own." Cameron exclaimed. "If only professor Hawking could see us now."

"Now is not the time for wishful thinking, we must prepare ourselves." Sheldon interrupted. "Majestic 12 is sending a representative to see us." At the sound of that name, every scientists's blood ran cold. Majestic 12 was the shadowy hand behind Area 51. Secrecy was their main goal and there was no means that they would not use to reach their ends: power and control.

"Dr. Hofstadter, may I have a word with you. Alone." Dr. Reaves asked. Dr. Hofstadter nodded as the two men went off alone.

"MJ-12 is coming?" Cameron asked in fear. Sheldon nodded.

"I have contacted Agent Seibert and he wants to see what progress we have made in the two weeks he has given us." He replied. "He's lost all patience, if we don't give him something, he'll pull our funding and we'll become collateral damage to them." Reaves nodded.

"What do you expect me to do in two days?" He asked.

"I expect you to work with Barbara Holland. You have to get her ready and prepare her because Seibert will put her under a magnifying glass. He is going to try everything he can to prove that our science has no merit."

"If he had his way, all the money uncle Sam gives us would go to S4, stupid aliens."

"That's why Barbara must impress Seibert so that he will give us more time to find other dimensions and maybe...find more advanced inter dimensional entities." Hofstadter insisted.

"This is not an exact science you know, I can't just have Barb do tricks like a monkey." Cameron argued.

"We have to have something to show Seibert or we are all dead men. There have to be more out there like Barb."

"i didn't see any, it was just her and those dog things." Hofstadter thought for a moment and then turned to his colleague.

"Didn't you say that she told you that she was snatched by some creature?" He asked.

"Yeah, she didn't get a very good look at it, but she said that it was slimy and that it had a weird mouth, it was shaped like a flower." Dr. Reaves explained.

"Is it possible...that this thing...could have snatched miss Holland from her dimension and brought her to AU0135?" Dr. Hofstadter asked.

"I suppose it's possible yes." Reaves admitted. Cameron gave the matter some serious thought and he had to admit that it was a fascinating concept. "A creature that can travel through different dimensions. Do you want to bring MJ-12 in on this?"

"Not yet, we don't have anything concrete...let's just show off Barb now, convince Seibert to give us more time and then find this other dimension." Sheldon decided.

"I guess we have our work cut out for us."

"We do indeed."

**WILL REAVES AND HOFSTADTER FIND THEIR WAY TO HAWKINS? WHAT WOULD THEIR ARRIVAL MEAN FOR THE PARTY? REVIEWS NEEDED AND APPRECIATED.**


	10. One a Romantic Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike & Eleven share a blissful evening in the pillow fort.

_Hawkins, Indiana._

_(Mike's POV)_

Mike went through one more check of the basement to make sure that everything was perfect. He had made the long standing pillow fort look presentable. He had prepared a delicious dinner of Eggos and pizza. Mike had even gotten his parents out for the night, an amazing feat considering that his old man practically lived in the Lay-Z-Boy. Everything thing had to be perfect tonight. Failure simply was not an option, at all. This was a very special night for Mike Wheeler and hopefully, it was an important night for his girlfriend: Jane "Eleven" Hopper. This night was their second anniversary. Not of them becoming official, but an occasion of equal importance. It had been two years ago that night when Mike, Dustin, and Lucas had gone out searching for Will Byers and had found Eleven instead. Mike was under the impression that he'd had a pretty decent life before he found Eleven and now...he couldn't even imagine a life without her, nor did he want to. Eleven was his everything, his life, his reason for being. He always felt that he didn't deserve her. Thankfully she felt the same way. At least if they had to deal with issues of self worth, they could do it together. Finally, at 6:30, the doorbell rang. Mike nearly tripped over himself trying to answer the door. When he got there, he saw his girlfriend looking even more beautiful then usual, if such a thing was possible. She was dressed in a cute pink blouse and a matching skirt with her sneakers. Behind her was Chief Hopper, trying to intimidate the young boy.

"El, you look..." Mike stuttered as he tried to find the right adjective to describe the creature that stood before him.

"Pretty?" Eleven asked hopefully.

"As pretty as ever." Mike said as Eleven smiled at her boyfriend. Hopper put his hand on his daughter's shoulder.

"You look really nice kid." He said as he turned his attention back to the Wheeler boy. "I'm going to be over at Mrs. Byers place. It's not that far, so if there are any emergencies, you can come over. Otherwise, I will be back at 9 on the dot...and I am only going to say it once, no funny business Wheeler."

"Even if El wants to?" Mike asked as Hopper gave him a death stare.

"Especially then. Do you hear me?" he asked, his eyes piercing into the young boy.

"Yes sir." Mike replied. Hopper gave them one last look as he closed the door, leaving the two young lovers alone. As soon as Hopper had gone, Mike and Eleven embraced each other and their lips met.

"I can't believe that we finally have the house to ourselves!" Mike exclaimed. Eleven couldn't help but giggle. She felt like she could fly, now that she finally had the one boy that she loved all to herself.

"I wanted..to see you...all week." Eleven said. "But Dad said no." Mike sighed. Ever since Hopper had legally become Eleven's dad and even before that, he had been intent on keeping them apart. Mike knew that he was just trying to keep Eleven safe from the bad men and he tried to forgive Hopper for perpetrating the worst year of his life so far, but it was still a sore subject between them. While Mike and Hopper loved Eleven dearly, they didn't trust each other with her at all.

"Are you hungry?" Mike asked as Eleven nodded emphatically. "I made dinner."

"Eggos?" She asked immediately. Mike smiled. The boys had tried to get her to branch out and try other foods, but Eleven liked what she liked. However, they had gotten her hooked on pizza, and french fries and that was an accomplishment.

"Yeah, there are plenty of Eggos." Mike assured his love as her face lit up. "I also ordered pizza." He took his love's hand as he led her down to the basement. He and Eleven sat down to enjoy their meal. As they ate, Mike told her about how school had been and how the party was embarking on new campaigns. Eleven in turn told him about how Hopper had been giving her more freedom and letting her take walks around the cabin by herself and even taking her into town and introducing her as his daughter. At first, people were shocked because they believed that he had only one dead daughter. Eventually, people accepted it and didn't ask any more questions.

"I gotta use the bathroom." Mike said after they ate. When he had gone, Eleven had crawled over to the pillow fort that was still standing tall. She always felt safe inside it. She always felt safe whenever Mike was near. Safety was something she had never known before Mike found her on Mirkwood. He had given that to her. When Mike got back, he saw that Eleven had moved to the pillow fort and when he saw her tattoo, he got an idea. A romantic idea. Mike walked over and Eleven smiled at the sight of him.

"Is that real?" he asked as he knelt down and touched her tattoo. At first Eleven was taken aback, but then she remembered what had happened the first time they had been left alone. She nodded as she caressed his cheek.

"What does it mean: Eleven?" Mike asked as she took his finger and put it on her chest. He smiled at her.

"Eleven, OK. Well, my name is Mike, short for Michael. Maybe we can call you El, short for Eleven. Is that OK?" He asked as Eleven nodded and pulled him close to her.

"I'm sorry if it's lame, I just thought of it when I saw you in the fort and..." Mike said as Eleven put her finger to his lips.

"I liked it." She said as she kissed him deeply. Mike grinned as they laid down together in their fort.

"Good night El." He whispered as she turned to face him.

"Night Mike."

**CAN THIS PERFECT COUPLE SURVIVE THE DANGER THAT IS AT HAND? REVIEWS NEEDED AND APPRECIATED.**


	11. A Day Of Failure All Around

_Area 51, Nevada._

_(Dr. Reaves POV)_

Everyone was on edge as they waited for agent Seibert to arrive. No one was particularly thrilled when someone from MJ-12 came for a visit. Most of the time, it was Seibert and that was beyond unpleasant. Seibert did not like that government money was being taken away from S4 and given to Parallel Theory and he had absolutely no problem expressing it. Dr. Reaves had tried to keep himself busy by talking with Barbara and getting her ready for her appointment with agent Seibert. It would not be easy and Reaves's heart ached for the poor girl. Barb's biggest problem was that she was a normal girl. Seibert was going to look as deep as he could to find something that he could exploit, but Barb had no powers or abilities. She was worthless to Majestic 12. As Cameron was pondering this, Dr. Hofstadter came up and slapped him on the back.

"Are you nervous about Seibert checking up on us?" He asked.

"Honestly, i'm scared out of my mind." Reaves replied.

"Well, you wouldn't be human if you weren't." Hofstadter insisted.

"I'm worried about Barb, what is he going to do with her?"

"Well, if she is of no use to him...we'll probably have to put her to sleep." Sheldon replied nonchalantly. Cameron was floored at his mentor's words. He knew that Majestic had sometimes silenced those who threatened the security of the mission, but he had never heard Dr. Hofstadter discuss death.

"Seriously."

"Yes, you know Majestic's policy towards things like this." Dr. Hofstadter reminded him as Cameron remembered the policy that he had read when he first began working in Parallel Theory. It was Majestic 12's policy towards aliens, but they had made the proper changes to fit their line of work,

_Parallel Dimensional Entities (PDE's) will be restrained by whatever means necessary and deposited in a secure location as soon as possible. Although it is preferable to maintain the well being of any entity, the loss of PDE life is considered acceptable if attempts to preserve said life compromise the security of the operation or any other operation headed by MJ-12._

Cameron had known full well that when he signed on for this, euthanization might be a possibility, but that was before he had met Barbara Holland, before he had talked to her and had come to see her as a fellow human being and as a friend, not just a test subject or a lab rat.

"Sheldon...what if...what if it comes to that? That Seibert wants her...disposed of?" Reaves asked as Hofstadter looked him straight in the eye.

"Then we will do what has to be done. We put miss Holland down. I know it may be inhumane, but if we don't do it, Seibert will kill us and do it anyway. Better her go to sleep than take us with." Sheldon assured Cameron as they both heard the elevator approaching. Suddenly, Agent Tyrone Seibert stepped out with a grim look on his face.

"This had better be good." Seibert said as he shot daggers at the two scientists.

"I assure you it is." Dr. Hofstadter asserted. "We have in our possession: a parallel dimensional entity. The first PDE ever in captivity. I hope you can understand how much of a huge scientific breakthrough this is."

"You've mistaken me for someone who gives a soaring shit about your scientific breakthrough. I just want to make sure that you have something I can use." Seibert shot back. Hofstadter nodded as he let the agent into Barb's holding cell. Reaves was hoping that Barb would be able to keep herself together under such pressure, but inside...he prepared for the worst.

* * *

The interrogation of Barbara Holland went on for five long and painful hours. There were no windows into the cell and it was quite soundproof, so there was no way to know what was going on in there. Eventually, after five hours, Seibert came out of the room. Cameron looked and saw Barb was wailing like a baby. He pulled the doctors aside and he was pissed.

"She is useless to me, why is she here?" Seibert roared.

"She was what Dr. Reaves found..." Dr. Hofstadter started to say.

"She knows nothing about the dimensional process or anything about where she was. All she said was that she was from Hawkins, Indiana. I checked the records. There is no such place."

"Not in our dimension, but there is in hers." Dr. Reaves interrupted.

"What do you mean?" Seibert asked.

"I mean she could have been pulled from another dimension into AU0135." Reaves argued.

"Look, we mapped out the dimension path in light years through the space time continuum..." Sheldon started to explain. Suddenly, Reaves stopped dead in his tracks.

"What did you say?" Cameron asked as Sheldon and Tyrone looked at him.

"I said, we mapped out the path in light years..." Cameron jumped up and ran over to the charts they had created.

"No. No, no, no, no."

"What's wrong?" Seibert inquired.

"We've made a horrible mistake." Reaves said as he looked through the charts.

"What are you talking about?" Hofstadter asked.

"This table for dimensional travel. It's measured in parsecs. We read it as light years!" Dr. Reaves exclaimed as he turned around to face the men. "You know what that means?" Suddenly, Dr. Hofstadter caught on as Agent Seibert was completely clueless.

"We were off by a factor of 180,000!" Hofstadter yelled.

"But you found AU0135, you brought back that girl." Seibert countered.

"Yeah, well, I shouldn't have, our calculations were wrong." Reaves pointed out. "I should've been torn apart molecule by molecule once i went through VOID, cast into oblivion. I should be dead."

"There must be some resonance between the dimensional flow we didn't know about." Sheldon concurred.

"So what, you just got lucky?" Tyrone asked as the two scientists gave him glares.

"Sheldon Hofstadter and Cameron Reaves do not get lucky!" They shouted.

"All right, so what does this mean?" Agent Seibert asked.

"We'll need to map it out all over again, using the right units." Dr. Reaves concluded.

"How long will it take?"

"All of us working together, about 3 weeks, give or take." Dr. Hofstadter said as Seibert was pissed.

"You have a week and a half." He decided.

"We need more time please..." Reaves begged.

"Get me something or someone I can use in eleven days or VOID is dead." Seibert growled as he left for the elevator. Hofstadter swore to himself.

"Tell the crew we're gonna be pulling some all nighters." He told Cameron. "Let's get to work."

**CAN REAVES AND HOFSTADTER FIND HAWKINS IN TIME? WHAT WOULD THEIR ARRIVAL MEAN FOR MIKE AND ELEVEN? REVIEWS NEEDED AND APPRECIATED**


	12. Another Romantic Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In a rare moment, Joyce and Jim act on their hidden feelings for each other.

_Hawkins, Indiana_

_(Joyce's POV)_

Joyce Byers was putting the finishing touches on her makeup as she heard the doorbell ring. She tried to keep her nerves under control as she rushed to the front door. The door opened to reveal Chief Jim Hopper with a huge pizza in his hands.

"Hey Joyce, I hope i'm on time." Hopper said as Joyce let him in.

"Yeah Hop, you're fine. I dropped Will off at Dustin's house to spend the night and Jonathan is with Nancy, so we won't have any interruptions." She said with a smile.

"That's good." He replied. Hopper made his way to the kitchen and set the pizza down on the kitchen table.

"So, what is Eleven up to tonight?" Joyce asked as Hopper turned to face her.

"I dropped her off at Wheeler's place." He admitted as Joyce feigned shock and surprise.

"Why Jim Hopper, you left your daughter alone with Michael Wheeler!" she exclaimed.

"I know, I must be losing my mind." Jim said chuckling. "Deep down, I know the boy loves her a lot. I just don't trust him." Joyce sighed as she set out the plates and began serving the pizza as she had Hopper sat to eat.

"Hop, don't you think that you should give Mike a little leeway?" She asked. "I mean, if things between him and Eleven get as serious as I think, he's going to be in both your lives for a long time."

"I know that, whether it's Mike or someone else, when and if Jane finds a guy, i'll be stuck with him and he'll be stuck with me. Don't get me wrong, I know Wheeler's a good kid, but I was a teenage boy once myself, I know how they work. Teenage boys think about one thing more than any other."

"Is that what you always thought about when you were a teenager?" Joyce asked. "I was there Hop. You were always bragging about every notch on your belt." Hopper couldn't help but laugh.

"My favorite was when I banged Chrissy Cooper in the back of my old man's Oldsmobile." He admitted. Joyce scoffed at the mention.

"Oh please, she was such a skank, she would give it out to any guy who was handsome and popular." She shot back.

"I was both handsome and popular, so was it a surprise that she went after me." Hopper asked.

"And here I thought that you were better than that." Joyce said in a teasing manner.

"Look, i'm sorry that I allowed myself to be seduced...repeatedly." Hopper said as he and Joyce burst out laughing.

"Well, you are forgiven. I made a lot more mistakes than you did, shacking up with Lonnie of all people." Joyce replied wistfully.

"Come on Joyce, you were a kid and he was a kid, kids do stupid things. Especially when booze and drugs are involved." Hopper insisted.

"I know, and at least I have Jonathan and Will. I mean, I love those boys more than my own life but..."

"You wish their father wasn't a total piece of shit?"

"Yeah..." Joyce whispered. "Why couldn't I have shacked up with a decent guy like Bob or..."

"Like me?" Hopper asked as Joyce gave him the thousand yard stare. They sat at the dinner table, looking at each other and nothing was said. Suddenly, Joyce and Hopper stood up and met each other halfway. They stared into each other's eyes for a brief moment before Hopper went in and put his lips upon those of Joyce. She was stunned for a moment before she returned the chief's kiss. They began to kiss each other passionately as Joyce jumped up and wrapped her legs around Hopper's body. They smiled as the chief carried the single mother to her bedroom.

* * *

Once a hour and a half of passionate love-making had passed. Joyce Byers and Jim Hopper laid in bed together, naked as nature.

"That was..." Hopper exclaimed, trying to find the right word to describe the amazing display that he has partly responsible for.

"Mind-blowing?" Joyce asked.

"Sure, let's go with that." He relented as she laid her head on his chest. Joyce sighed as she drew circles on Hopper's chest.

"Do you regret it?" He asked, fearful of the answer.

"No, I mean it was wonderful but..." Joyce tried to explain.

"You're worried that it's too soon after Bob?" Hopper finished.

"Yeah...we were really serious and I don't want to fell like i'm forgetting him or like i'm just using you for rebound sex."

"Did you and Bob ever..."

"Once, it was nice, but not like this." Joyce said with enthusiasm which made Hopper laugh.

"I understand not wanting to forget Bob, I haven't forgotten Diane but, if I find someone I love, I can't let any leftover feelings for her get in the way." He said as Joyce looked into his eyes.

"Can I be honest with you Hop?" She asked.

"Absolutely." He assured her. Joyce sighed before she continued.

"I had a huge crush on you in high school." She said as Hopper's eyes got wide.

"Oh thank God!" He exclaimed.

"Why thank God?" Joyce asked.

"I was worried that it was only me. I wanted you so bad." He said as they kissed.

"So, what does this mean?" Joyce asked. "What are we?"

"How bout we not bother with labels right now, let's just acknowledge that we love each other and leave it at that." Hopper offered. Joyce smiled at this.

"I love you Hop." She said

"I love you too Joyce." He repeated as he kissed her head. For the first time in a while, Joyce Byers felt loved by a real man.

**ARE JOYCE AND HOPPER A COUPLE? REVIEWS NEEDED AND APPRECIATED.**


	13. Once More Into The VOID

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crew of Project VOID prepares for another voyage into the ether.

_Area 51, Nevada._

_(Dr. Reaves POV)_

After a week and a half of back breaking, grueling, late night number crunching, Dr. Reaves and Dr. Hofstadter felt that they had the dimensional path figured out. Once they had mapped it out, they called a meeting with their crew and explained their findings.

"Now, we had done considerable mapping and we thought that AU0135 was the only dimension within our range." Hofstadter lectured.

"It turns out though, we had not expanded our search enough." Reaves continued. "We had only been looking side to side, we had not even considered looking above or below our map line. You see, when we looked through out research, we discovered that we had made a mathematical error. We had placed everything in units of light years when actually, dimensional travel calls for parsecs. Because of this error, we learned that our map was off by a factor as high as 180,000." Everyone mummered as Cameron blushed at his mistake.

"However, after working overtime for the last 10 days, we have remapped the dimensional pathway in the proper unit of length and we found some unprecedented." Sheldon insisted as he turned back to his colleague.

"Once we had remapped everything, we found another dimension...directly above AU0135." Dr. Reaves announced as the other scientists were caught off guard.

"Such a thing is improbable." one scientist shouted.

"We believed so as well, and yet it exists. Imagine, the two sides of a coin. The dimension that Dr. Reaves explored is on the bottom, AU0135; and on top is the yet to be explored, AU0136." Dr. Hofstadter explained to his audience.

"So, what you are saying is that there are two dimensions exactly on top of each other?" another scientist asked in disbelief.

"That is exactly what we are saying." Reaves insisted as he turned on a projector which showed a schematic of the dimensions. "Now, we are assuming that AU0136 is the dominant dimension, it is on the top and is the most visible...but since we used incorrect math, we saw the the dimension on the bottom, AU0135. It is completely upside down."

"An upside down dimension?" One scientist asked as others scoffed in disbelief.

"We know what it sounds like." Hofstadter shot back. "However, we have proved that this theory is plausible. Dr. Reaves traveled to this upside down dimension through VOID and brought back a parallel dimensional entity."

"Exactly." Cameron said as he pounced on the comment. "During mine and agent Seibert's discussions with miss Barbara Holland, she insisted that she had come from a different dimension from whence I found her. This place, this Hawkins, seems to be similar to our own dimension in many ways. According to miss Holland's testimony, she believes that some unknown force pulled her out of AU0136 or Hawkins, and pulled her into the upside down dimension, AU0135. This means that there is another dimension waiting to be explored with vast untold potential to completely change man's understanding of the multiverse."

"You said there were strange creatures in AU0135, what if there are even worse threats in this "Hawkins" place?" one scientist asked.

"Look, what do you want us to say, that another exploration through VOID is completely devoid of risk? It is not." Sheldon asserted. "That is the burden of scientific research. No matter what field we are in, string theory, dark matter, geology, human evolution, there has always been and there will always be risk...but in the name of science, we must push on, no matter the risk. We have a duty to all those who have gone before to ensure that every point of the universe is explored and documented. That is what we are receiving funding to do and it is what will be done."

"That only leaves the question of who will go?" the same scientist asked. "Not it."

"You need not worry, Dr. Cameron Reaves has volunteered to go through VOID once more to explore the Hawkins dimension." Dr. Hofstadter explained. Everyone was shocked that Dr. Reaves, after being forced by Dr. Hofstadter to go through VOID and then going through everything in the upside down would volunteer to go back through and get himself in an even worse scrap.

"Strictly speaking, I am the most qualified to make the journey to the Hawkins dimension, I have had several in depth conversations about this place with Barbara Holland and I believe I know enough to prepare myself whatever comes my way." Dr. Reaves explained as everyone was glad that it wasn't them.

"Then it is settled. As soon as we get the green light from Agent Seibert and Majestic 12, we conduct the second human test of project VOID." Hofstadter announced.

* * *

2 days after the assembly, Dr. Reaves and Dr. Hofstadter had gotten agent Seibert's approval for another expedition through VOID. However, this voyage was different. Cameron would be wearing a hazmat suit which both doctors admitted that he should have worn during the first voyage, but had not thought of it due to a lack of common sense and forethought. He would also be going in with a fully loaded handgun which held eleven rounds of ammunition, in case he had to defend himself. As Reaves was prepped for his journey, the coordinates were punched in for Hawkins.

"Now remember Cameron, you will have the return pad should this Hawkins prove to be uninhabitable and you will also have the communicator which should hold up so you can report your findings, whatever they may be." Sheldon said as he bid safe voyage to his colleague.

"I'm ready to see the other side of the coin." Reaves insisted as he stepped onto the platform.

"All right, fasten your seat belts everyone!" Dr. Hofstadter shouted as they began the teleportation process. Once again, Cameron's body was torn apart, molecule by molecule as he was sent into the void of space and time.

"Let's hope Hawkins doesn't have any strange creatures." Hofstadter said wistfully.

**DR. CAMERON REAVES IS ON HIS WAY TO HAWKINS. IS HAWKINS READY FOR HIM? IS HE READY FOR IT? REVIEWS NEEDED AND APPRECIATED.**


	14. The Reaves Has Landed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dr. Reaves arrives in Hawkins

_Hawkins. Indiana_

_(Eleven's POV)_

Eleven had hardly been able to sleep after her night of romance with Mike. The young girl could hardly believe her luck. All her life, she had never known what love meant. How could she? Jane had been ripped out of her mother's womb and stolen away. When her mother had tried to get her back, she had been reduced to a vegetable. While all of this is unknown to the poor girl, her name was taken away from her and she was turned into Eleven, a creature of toil, at the beck and call of her "papa". Dr. Martin Brenner had ruled her world since she could even comprehend it. She only knew him as Papa, he insisted that she refer to him as such and used it to manipulate her into doing his bidding. This papa however, was no father.

Fathers are supposed to love their daughters and shower them with affection, Dr. Brenner never loved Eleven at all and only gave her the bare minimum of affection when he needed a task done.

Fathers are supposed to teach their daughters right from wrong, Dr. Brenner only taught her mindless obedience and reinforced it with pain.

Fathers are supposed to be patient with their daughters when they make mistakes, Dr. Brenner would torture Eleven and lock her in a small room by herself for hours on end when she failed or said no. For over thirteen long years, Eleven was Dr. Brenner's project, his plaything, his slave. Eventually...believe me, not soon enough, but eventually, Eleven was able to escape from Hawkins National Laboratory. The near naked, hungry and frightened child walked through the woods until she was able to find food in Benny's diner. Benny had shown her kindness and had attempted to help her, but his selflessness cost him his life. She then ran through the dirt and the rain until she took shelter on Mirkwood where she looked into the face of a handsome young boy.

His name was Mike, short for Michael. He had taken her into his home, built a fort of pillows just for her, introduced her to the wonderful deliciousness of Eggos, clothes her, cleaned her up, made her look pretty, offered to and then took her to the snow ball. However, the one thing that he did above all others was give her friendship and then true love. He had been her first kiss and what a wonderful first kiss it had been. It was then at Hawkins Middle school in the cafeteria as Dustin Henderson was raiding the lunch lady's secret stash of chocolate pudding, that Eleven knew for the first time in her life that she was in love with Mike Wheeler. It wasn't the kind of love that she saw on the TV that she watched in her father's cabin while he was patrolling the streets of Hawkins as Chief Jim Hopper. It was a true love, a special kind of love that she had never even believed was possible for her. Mike Wheeler was her world, he was her everything, that was why she had been willing to trade her life for his when the Demogorgon had attacked. As Eleven laid in her bed back at Hopper's cabin, she looked up at the ceiling, trying to reach out to her one true love.

"I love you Mike." She whispered as she went to sleep.

* * *

_(Dr. Reaves POV)_

When Dr. Cameron Reaves came to, he saw that he was in a semi deep wooded area. He got to his feet and looked around. It was dark. He began to walk in a single direction for a couple of minutes until he saw something strange in the distance. He kept walking towards it until he saw that it was some sort of structure. Dr. Reaves noticed that the structure was quite primitive and crudely made. What really stuck out was the American flag that was waving from it. Reaves took a closer look at the structure and he saw a plaque of wood with yellow writing on it.

"Castle Byers?" He read as he went inside. He saw that it had all the makings of a child's clubhouse. Cameron sat down and pulled out his communicator.

"Reaves to Groom Lake, do you copy?" He called out. "I have landed in AU0136. I landed in a wooded area and I have stumbled upon what appears to be a kind of clubhouse. This confirms not only that there is intelligent life in this dimension, but that it must be nearby. I'm going to catch my breath for a brief moment and then continue on." Dr. Reaves took a brief rest and then continued walking in the same direction that had led him to Castle Byers. After a walk of about five minutes or so. he came upon a small house in the clearing. As he came closer to it, he was able to look through the windows. He saw a middle aged woman entering into the kitchen. She was putting her shirt back on as a middle aged man came out of the room right after her. Reaves decided that the best course of action was to make contact with these entities. He discarded his hazmat suit in a bush nearby so as to appear less threatening. After he had straightened himself out, he went up to the house and after taking many deep breaths, he knocked on the door. After a couple minutes, the woman answered.

"Hello?" she asked when she saw Cameron.

"Hello, my name is Cameron Reaves, I was wondering if I could use your phone?" he asked in a friendly manner. "You see, I was on my way to Chicago and I was...dropped here by a colleague of mine." The woman was surprised, but seemed to believe him.

"Um...sure, come on in." She said as Cameron made his way inside.

"Who's at the door Joyce?" Dr. Reaves heard the man ask.

"He said is name is Cameron." Joyce said as they walked into the kitchen where Reaves saw that the man was wearing clothing that labeled him as law enforcement.

"My name is Cameron Reaves, I'm sorry to disturb you officer..."

"Chief, Jim Hopper." The man replied.

"He said that he was on his way to Chicago." Joyce told the chief.

"Then how did you end up in Hawkins?" Hop asked. Cameron chose his next words carefully.

"It's a very long story." He replied.

**DR. REAVES HAS MADE CONTACT. DOES HE COME AS FRIEND OR AS FOE? REVIEWS NEEDED.**


	15. A New Threat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dr. Reaves gets on Chief Hopper’s radar.

_Hawkins, Indiana_

_(Hopper's POV)_

Chief Jim Hopper sat at the kitchen table with Joyce as the stranger tried to explain himself. The more he heard, the less sense that this man's story seemed to make.

"I was on my way to Chicago with some colleagues of mine for a convention when they dumped me on the road about a mile back." Dr. Reaves said, lying his ass off. "I've been walking forever until I came across this house and luckily you were home."

"Yeah...lucky you." Hopper muttered.

"So Cameron, where are you from exactly?" Joyce asked.

"Las Vegas, Nevada." He replied.

"You could've gone straight to Illinois, you didn't have to go through Indiana." Hopper pointed out as Reaves realized his mistake.

"That's true, but we had some time before we had to be in a Chicago and we thought it would be nice to do a little sight seeing." He said quickly.

"Right...so, what do you do anyway?"

"What do I do?"

"Job wise." Joyce clarified.

"Oh, I'm a...science teacher." Cameron stated. This wasn't exactly a lie, seeing as he had taught the assistants at Area 51 about the theory of the multiverse. At the mere mention of the word _science,_ Hopper and Joyce both got nervous. They had been dealing with scientists for the last two years and they'd both had their fill of science.

"That's...nice. Do you teach high school?" she asked.

"Um, I actually teach at a higher level." Dr. Reaves said.

"So, What are your plans, Mr. Reaves?" Hopper inquired.

"Actually, it's Dr. Reaves and I was figuring that I could find a place to stay here in Hawkins until I figure out how to get back to Las Vegas." Cameron answered. "Are there any hotels in town?"

"Uh, yeah. There's a hotel downtown. It's a bit late to be checking in, but I think I can talk them into making an exception for you." Hopper told him.

"I would be much obliged, Chief Hopper." Reaves said in a relieved tone of voice. The chief and the scientist got up from the table as they got ready to head out.

"My car's out front, I just need to talk to Joyce about some private matters. You understand." Hopper informed.

"Of course, I'll just wait in the car." Dr. Reaves said as he walked out to the car. Once he had left, Hopper and Joyce looked at each other with a great deal of suspicion and fear in their eyes.

"I don't trust him Hop." Joyce said as the chief nodded.

"He's bullshitting us, that I know for sure. Do you think he could be from the department of energy?" Hopper asked.

"I don't know, I thought you worked out a deal with those people. The lab was shut down, you got to adopt Jane."

"That was the deal I made with Owens." Hopper insisted. "Everyone involved with Hawkins National Laboratory is either dead, in prison, or laying low. Why would this nerdy looking son of a bitch just show up here. It's a risk and these people wouldn't take such stupid risks, not if they really wanted Jane back."

"So, What do we do?" Joyce asked nervously.

"I'm gonna get him set up at the hotel tonight and hopefully, he'll get on the road tomorrow and go to Chicago or wherever the Hell he's going." Hopper replied.

"What if he doesn't?" Joyce asked again as Chief Hopper heaved a huge sigh.

"If he doesn't...we will keep a close eye on him and if he even thinks about hurting Jane, I will kick his sorry ass clear out of Hawkins, OK?" Hopper swore. Joyce nodded as The Chief kissed her goodbye and went out to the car where Reaves was waiting. They pulled out of the Byers driveway and drove into downtown Hawkins.

* * *

About fifteen minutes later, Chief Hopper and Dr. Reaves were pulled up to the Hawk hotel and suites. It was indeed late and the manager was not all pleased with being woken up at eleven o’ clock at night, but just like Hopper had predicted, a recommendation from the Hawkins chief of police managed to get the good doctor a room for the night. As Hopper and Reaves went up to his room, Cameron saw the the room was nice enough.

"Does this Room get the Cameron Reaves seal of approval?" Hopper asked as Cameron went inside.

"Oh yes, it's quite quaint." He replied.

"That's good." Hopper said as he closed the door. "The last thing we want is to make you uncomfortable." Dr. Reaves got nervous as Hopper got up close in his face and gave him an Eleven glare.

"Is there a problem, Chief Hopper?" Cameron asked.

"There is if you plan on causing trouble for me or my family." Hopper replied.

"I don't..." Reaves stuttered as Hopper grabbed his shirt collar.

"Now you listen to me, I think your sob story is bullshit and I ain't the only one." Hopper gritted. "I don't know what you're really doing here and frankly, I don't want to know. All I know is that if you stay in Hawkins for too long, you are going to wish you hadn't."

"Are you threatening me, Chief Hopper?" Dr. Reaves asked. Hopper lessened his grip.

"No, I'm just keeping you informed. I don't mess with your people, so you and your lab buddies better not mess with mine." The Chief said as he got up and walked out of the room. "Good night, Dr. Reaves." As Reaves calmed down, he wasn't sure what to think. All he knew was that there was something going on in Hawkins and he was going to get to bottom of it.

**DR. REAVES IS ON THIN ICE. WILL HE DISCOVER THE SECRET THAT IS JANE "ELEVEN" HOPPER? REVIEWS NEEDED AND APPRECIATED.**


	16. Sneaking Out & Spying

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The party defies Hopper’s orders and goes to Starcourt Mall, unaware that they are being watched.

_Hawkins, Indiana_

_(Mike's POV)_

Mike Wheeler was pedaling with great enthusiasm. The _Star Court_ mall had been opened for a week and he was planning on taking Eleven to bask in the awesomeness that was the mall. As he finally pulled into Hopper's cabin, he went up to the porch and did the secret knock that Hopper had taught him. He waited a few minutes, but there was no answer.

"El, are you here?" Mike asked. A few moments later, Eleven came to the door. Her eyes were bloodshot, the girl had clearly been crying.

"Mike!" Eleven said with a sad smile as she embraced him and put her lips on his. Mike gladly returned the kiss as she pulled him inside the cabin.

"Are you OK?" Mike asked. "You look like you've been crying." Eleven dried her tears as she gazed into the eyes of her beloved.

"Dad...sometimes...he is like papa." She replied. Mike held Eleven's hand tightly in his.

"Why? What did he do?"

"He said...I can't go, to _Star Court."_ She stuttered as Mike groaned. He had been under the impression that he was finally making headway with the chief. He had accepted that Mike and Eleven were committed to each other. Eleven owned his heart and he owned hers. Hopper had even allowed Mike and Eleven to sleep in the same bedroom when he slept over, on the condition that he sleep on the floor and the door remain open at all times. Now it felt like he was back to square one and Mike Wheeler was pissed off.

"Son of a bitch!" Mike swore. "Why can't he just grow a pair and trust me?"

"Grow a pair?" Eleven asked as Mike slapped himself on the inside. "A pair of what?"

"It's a figure of speech." Mike replied nervously. "It means chief Hopper needs to be brave. He knows that I love you, you're my everything." Eleven smiled as she took Mike's cheeks in her hands.

"You're my life." She replied as he kissed her deeply.

"So, why won't the chief let you go?" Mike asked.

"Bad men." Eleven replied. Mike's heart sank like a rock.

"They're back, but Hopper made a deal with Dr. Owens. They were going to leave you alone."

"I don't know." Eleven sighed. "All Dad said was that he saw a bad man when he was at Will's house last night. He said that I have to hide until he leaves." Mike cursed as he held his girlfriend tightly in his arms. They stayed that way for a while and nothing was said. Suddenly, Eleven leaned over and whispered in his ear.

"Sneak out." She whispered as Mike looked at her in surprise.

"El, I want to, but if the chief finds out, he'll kill me...or worse, keep us apart." He argued as Eleven caressed his cheek.

"I want to go...to _Star Court.._.with my boyfriend." She insisted. "Grow a pair." At the sound of those words, Mike Wheeler burst out laughing, as did Eleven. They laughed so hard that they cried.

"All right, let's go." Mike said as he and Eleven headed out of the cabin, climbed onto Mike's bike, and pedaled off. They were however, unaware that they were being watched.

* * *

_(Dr. Reaves POV)_

Dr. Cameron Reaves did have a hard time getting to sleep after being intimidated by Chief Jim Hopper. However, he was not going to let some jackass with a beer belly deter him from exploring around Hawkins. The next morning, he got up and had a breakfast of eggs and bacon. As soon as he had finished, he went to the clerk at the front desk.

"Excuse me, do you know the address for Chief Jim Hopper?" He asked. The clerk on duty was a woman named Wendy who had been one of Hopper's many conquests and he had never called her again after leaving his mark. She grudgingly gave Dr. Reaves the address. It was about 8 miles from the hotel, so Reaves had no other alternative but to hitch hike to his destination. It took 2 different cars to get Reaves out to the cabin and when he arrived, he found a good hiding spot in the brush near the house so he could spy on the chief. What he did not anticipate however was that chief Hopper had a daughter and said daughter had a boyfriend. Cameron waited for a few minutes, wondering what he should do when he saw Hopper's daughter and her boyfriend exiting the cabin and getting on his bicycle.

"You're gonna love it El, Nancy said that _Star Court_ mall has a food court and they have all sorts of stuff." the boy said as he got on.

"Eggos?" the girl asked as she too got on the bike and held on to her boyfriend.

"Aren't you tired of those things yet?" the boy asked with a chuckle.

"No." El replied as they began to pedal in the direction of Hawkins. Dr. Reaves watched them pedal off as he began walking in the direction that they had pedaled. As he walked, hoping that a car would pass by, he took out the tape recorded her had brought and documented his progress.

"Dr. Reaves's log. I have landed in Hawkins and i've made contact with the inhabitants. This dimension is quite similar to our own except that it seems to represent 1980's America. Last night, I was intimidated by the chief of police who believes that I am trying to unearth something or someone that he intends to keep hidden. As strange as it sounds, I am keeping surveillance on the chief's daughter in the hopes that I can gather more Intel on this Jim Hopper fellow and discover what secrets lay within Hawkins." He said as he put his recorded away. By sheer luck, a car passed by and picked up the scientist. As he got in, Reaves decided to make contact with the kids if he could.

"Where you off to?" The driver asked.

" _Star Court_ Mall." Cameron replied. "I believe it will be very...interesting."

**WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF MIKE AND ELEVEN MEET DR. REAVES? REVIEWS NEEDED AND APPRECIATED.**


	17. A Date Of Wonder & Pain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The party goes to the mall and trouble follows.

_Hawkins, Indiana_

_(Eleven's POV)_

Once Eleven and Mike arrived at the _Star Court_ mall, she was overwhelmed by the sheer size of it. It was wider than Hawkins National Laboratory and it was far more beautiful to look at. As for Mike, who understood the concept of the mall, he was equally impressed. He had not set foot in _Star Court_ before now, because he thought that it would be a good place to take Eleven on a date. As they walked in, Eleven was the first to spot Lucas and Max.

"Friends." Eleven said as she pointed them out. She and mike headed over to see them.

"Lucas!" Mike said as the two boys shook hands.

"Hey Mike, what's up man?" Lucas replied. "Max wanted to hang out at the mall."

"Hi El, is Mike taking you out on a date?" Max asked as Eleven blushed and nodded.

"You guys wanna double date?" Lucas offered as Mike and Eleven looked at each other.

"Sure." She replied as the two couples began to explore the majesty that was _Star Court_ Mall. There were so many stores, it was almost impossible to decide where to go first. Mike eventually settled on _Radio Shack._ He really got a kick out of looking at all of the electronics and explaining to Eleven how they worked. They went to _The Gap_ where Mike enjoyed watching Eleven trying on all sorts of beautiful clothes. Next on the list was _Jazzercise._ Neither Mike nor Eleven had the taste or the talent for such a past time, but they enjoyed making fun of the people in their weird outfits; dancing in a odd fashion to crazy music.

"Are you guys hungry?" Lucas asked.

"I'm freaking starving." Max said as the four friends headed to the food court. They stopped at _Burger King_ and had a delicious lunch of burgers and fries. The couples then went over to _Scoops Ahoy_ for ice cream. They were about to order when they saw someone that made them stop in their tracks: Steve Harrington.

"Ahoy...oh shit." Steve swore as he saw the kids who burst out in a fit of laughter. Even Eleven giggled at Steve's misfortune. "Even the lab girl is laughing at me, as if I couldn't fall any further."

"Argh captain, full speed to butter pecan island." Mike joked as Steve groaned.

"Make a stop at Mint chip cay and..." Lucas started to say.

"Strawberry falls." Max finished as she guffawed. Steve took their orders with a face that told everyone who saw it that he was begging for death.

"Vanilla." Eleven replied with a smile on her face. It was the only type of ice cream that she had eaten and she had loved it when she tried at Mike's house.

"At least one of you can be mature." Steve replied as he got everyone their ice cream. As they ate, they continue to joke about Steve's plight.

"Man, if this doesn't turn your sister off, nothing will." Lucas said as Mike shoved him.

"Shut up man." Mike replied as Eleven put her arm around his waist.

* * *

_(Mike's POV)_

After the ice cream had been eaten, Mike was in _Shapes._ It was a toy store and he was hoping that they had some good _Dungeons And Dragons_ stuff for him. As he finally happened upon the RPG section, he noticed that an older nerdy looking guy was also eyeballing the D&D stuff.

"What's your class?" the man asked as Mike turned to look.

"What?" Mike asked in return.

"In _Dungeons And Dragons,_ which class are you?"

"Oh, i'm a paladin." Mike replied. "And you?"

"Wizard." the man replied. "I used to play D&D a lot in my college days."

"Me and my friends play all the time. I'm Mike, Mike Wheeler." Mike said as he offered his hand.

"Cameron. Cameron Reaves." The man said as Mike picked out a new D&D guidebook. "So, what brave warriors make up your party?"

"Well, i'm our paladin, Will's our cleric, Dustin's our bard, Lucas is our ranger, and El's our mage."

"A well balanced group, i'm jealous." Cameron replied as Mike made his purchase. As they left the store, Mike and Cameron struck up a conversation about recent campaigns they had undertaken. When they reached the food court, the other three were surprised.

"Who's this guy?" Lucas asked.

"This is Mr. Reaves. He's a wizard in D&D. I met him in _Shapes."_ Mike replied.

"It's Dr. Reaves actually." Reaves replied.

"This is Lucas..." Mike began to introduce as he pointed to his party members.

"The cunning ranger."

"This is Jane, but we call her El..."

"The skilled mage."

"And this is Max, she's our...zoomer." Mike finished, trying to get the words out. The whole zoomer thing was still an issue with him. Dr. Reaves raised his eyebrows.

"You do know that "Zoomer" isn't an actual thing, right?" He asked.

"It could be." Max argued.

"Yes, we are aware." Mike confessed as Lucas got a nervous look on his face.

"Mike, the chief's here and he does not look happy." he said as he pointed out Hopper who was scouring the mall.

"Crap!" Mike exclaimed. "He wouldn't let El out and...we kind of snuck out."

"What!" Max asked in amazement.

"I can do...what I want...with my boyfriend." El insisted as she squeezed Mike's hand. Eventually, Hopper spotted them and he was displeased, but when he saw Dr. Cameron Reaves with them, he blew a gasket. He stormed over to their table.

"What the Hell are you doing here?" Hopper roared as he pulled Reaves over to him.

"Well, nice to see you again, chief Hopper." Cameron replied as everyone was shocked.

"Dad!" Eleven shouted in fear.

"I told you there was a bad man in town Jane." Hopper said, glaring at her. "Well say hello to the bad man." The kids glared at Reaves with loathing. As Hopper shoved Cameron aside. Mike got in his face.

"You leave El alone, do you hear me?" Mike roared. "If you or any of your lab buddies come near us, i'll freaking kill you. Now, GET OUT!" Mike had lost the love of his life once, he would not lose her again. He would not.

"I don't mean to harm..." Dr. Reaves started to say, but Hopper pushed him towards the exit. Once he returned he shot daggers at Mike and El.

"You know that you weren't allowed to go out." He said, looking at Eleven.

"I didn't know...he was a bad man." Eleven argued. "I want to be with Mike."

"Please Hopper, it's not her fault. It's mine." Mike argued.

"Believe me, I will discuss this with your parents. At length." Hopper assured the Wheeler boy as he turned back to his daughter. "You're grounded. That means no Eggos, no TV, and no Mike, for a week. Get your ass home, Wheeler. Now!"

"I'm sorry El." He said as he tried to fight his tears. Mike moved to walk away until he was stopped by an unseen force. He looked at Eleven and her bloody nose said it all.

"Let him go." Hopper ordered. Eleven shook her head.

"Not his fault." Eleven argued.

"I don't care, let him go." Even shook her head once again. "OK, two weeks." Mike tried to move again, but Eleven held on.

"LET GO!" Hopper shouted. Eleven shook her head still. "A month."

"No." she stated. Hopper turned red.

"Congrats, you just graduated from no Mike for a month, to no Mike at all." Hopper stated as everyone gasped. They couldn't believe that Hopper was actually making them break up.

"NO!" Eleven shouted.

"Please Hopper, i'll do anything." Mike pleaded as Hopper pulled him away from his love.

"No...no." Eleven said as she tried to touch him, but was blocked by Hopper.

"When will you learn that actions have consequences?" He asked.

"You are like papa!" She shouted. "I hate you." Hopper sighed. Her words had hurt him, but she had to learn somehow.

"You can't do anything you want. You and Mike are done. No more hugging, no more hand holding, no kissing, it is over!"

"AAAHHHHHH" Eleven let out a loud scream as the table was tipped over and the windows from the nearby store were shattered. As everyone tried to figure out what to do, no one noticed that a few feet away, Dr. Cameron Reaves had witnessed the whole thing.

"She's amazing." He whispered to himself.

**IS HOPPER FOR REAL? IS THIS THE END OF MILEVEN? REVIEWS NEEDED AND APPRECIATED.**


	18. Will The Wise & Wonderful

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike and Will have a heart to heart

Will Byers was in his room, drawing a picture of Will the Wise vanquishing an army of orcs in his sketchbook. Will loved to draw and it really helped him to get his mind off of his troubles; of which there had always been many. As he was putting the finishing touches on his magnificent robe, he heard a knock on his window. He looked over and saw a distraught Mike Wheeler. His eyes were bloodshot from hours of crying. Will went over and quickly opened the window.

"Mike, are you all right?" Will asked as Mike shook his head.

"Can I come in?" Mike asked. Will nodded as he allowed his best friend to climb inside.

"What's wrong?" Will asked. "You look like you've been crying."

"I screwed up Will." Mike sobbed. "I'm screwed up so bad."

"Was it your date with Eleven?"

"Yeah, I went to pick her up for our date and it turns out Hopper put her under house arrest."

"Why, what happened?" Will asked in disbelief.

"There's a bad man poking around Hawkins and he's being all nosy. Hopper thinks that he could be from the Department of Energy." Mike replied.

"Why can't those people just leave us alone?" Will cried out.

"Anyway, she wanted to sneak out, so I took her to the Star Court mall and everything was going good until I started talking to this guy I met: Dr. Cameron Reaves. He was into Dungeons And Dragons and I introduced him to El and Lucas and Max. Then Hopper figured out where we were and he was pissed. It turns out that Dr. Reaves was the bad man that Hopper warned El about." Mike explained as Will shook his head.

"Holy crap." He muttered.

"He said that El and I weren't allowed to see each other for a week." Mike added.

"I'm just going to go out of a limb and say that Eleven didn't take it very well."

"She used her powers to keep me there and Hopper just kept upping the ante until he said that she wasn't allowed to see me ever." Will was floored.

"When Hopper said ever, did he mean never ever?" He asked.

"He said we were done." Mike moaned.

"Was she angry?"

"She threw a fit, she flipped tables and she even broke the windows in one of the stores. Hopper had to convince everyone that a boiler erupted."

"So, do you think Hopper is really going to make Eleven dump you?" Will asked nervously.

"I don't know." Mike wept. "I can't live without her Will, I don't want to. I love her so much." Will held his friend.

"I know, Eleven loves you too." Will assured him. "Hopper's just upset, he needs to cool down. I could ask my mom to talk to him, if you want." Mike shook his head. Just because his love life was in deep shit was no reason to risk Joyce's last chance at romance and happiness.

"No, Hopper and your mom are crazy about each other. After everything that happened with you and your old man and...Bob. She doesn't need any more burdens." He replied.

"Yeah...no more burdens...like me." Will said as he got off the bed.

"No one said that you were a burden Will..." Mike started to say until Will Byers came unglued.

"YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO!" He shouted at his best friend. "Ever since this crap started, people look at me like i'm this wounded animal that they need to take care of and i am tired of it. People whisper behind my back. I used to be Will the wise, I used to be just plain old Will Byers. Now i'm Zombie boy, the kid who got snatched by the Demogorgon, the kid who everyone thought was dead, the kid who got possessed by the mind flayer, the kid who was a spy for the shadow monster, when does it end?" Will sat back down on the bed and cried. Mike felt so bad for his friend as he tried his best to offer comfort.

"I'm sorry." Mike replied. "I feel like crap, coming here and telling you the woes of my love life when you're dealing with all this crap."

"It's OK Mike, i'm just tired of people treating me like i'm some fragile doll that they need to handle with care. You don't have to walk on eggshells when you're around me."Will explained.

"I know, it's just...it's hard not to think about all the horrible crap that you went through."

"I get that Mike, I do. All i'm trying to say is...you don't have to apologize. I know it's not fair of me to resent you guys because you care about me. If it wasn't for you and the others, i'd still be in the Upside Down or possessed, or dead. You saved me, I know that. but I can't go on being treated with kid gloves. I'm tired of being a victim. So if you can stop looking at me like i'm wounded, then I can quit acting like it; and then maybe we have a shot at things going back to normal." Mike nodded as he and Will embraced each other.

"So, what do you think I should do about chief Hopper?" Mike asked.

"Just give it some time. Hopper knows how much you two mean to each other. He's a decent guy, he'll come around." Will assured.

"I just don't want to lose El."

"I know, trust me, it's gonna take a lot more than Chief Jim Hopper to tear you two apart. You and Eleven are meant for each other. The only things she loves in this world are you and Eggos."

**CAN HOPPER STOP THE FORCE OF MILEVEN? REVIEWS NEEDED AND APPRECIATED.**


	19. Jane Hopper & Her Complicated Love Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> El deals with the aftermath of her Starcourt outburst

The last two days had been most unpleasant for the Hopper family. After the incident at the mall and a great deal of trouble that Chief Hopper had to endure to convince people that an eruption in the boiler room was responsible for all the strange things that had occurred, she had been promptly grounded. The ride home had been silent with the chief and his daughter both refusing to say a single word to each other. When they got back to the cabin however, the cold atmosphere remained. The next day, they started talking again, but their issues had not been resolved.

"Now the bad man knows who you are." Hopper said as he walked into her room. "I hope you can appreciate that." Eleven gave Hopper one of her famous glares.

"You can't keep Mike from me." She gritted. "He is mine."

"He is not your property young lady." The Chief shot back. "If you ask me, a little time apart would do you two some good."

"You kept us apart for 353 days. You saw Mike, you...I killed him." Eleven replied with tears.

"I know he was upset, but he survived."

"I won't hurt him like that again, I won't. I am his life, Mike said...he doesn't want to live without me."

"He told you that?" Hopper asked as Eleven looked down.

"Will." she replied.

"Will told you?" Eleven shook her head as Hopper finally figured it out.

"You used your powers to listen in on a conversation between Will and Mike!" He shouted.

"Yes!" Eleven shouted. "I was worried."

"You need to learn what privacy means!"

"I kept my clothes on!"

"There's more to privacy than changing your clothes. I can't even deal with you right now, go to your room." Hopper said as Eleven stormed off and slammed the door shut with her powers. Hopper swore as he sat down. Ever since Eleven and Mike had been reunited, the two had been obsessed with each other. Everyone told him that it was true love, but Hopper just could not understand it for the life of him. He had been in love with Diane and he had never really stopped loving Joyce, but the way that the Wheeler boy and Jane felt about each other, they were full on obsessed with each other. Hopper tried to be understanding, but the idea of Mike and Jane together by themselves just bugged him. Mike Wheeler may be nerdy and kind and caring, but at the end of the day, which ironically, it was...Mike Wheeler was still a teenage boy and sex was always at the front of every teenage boy's mind. Hopper knew what he was talking about, he had been a high school horn dog. He sighed as he got up and locked the door. He and Jane needed some space from each other. Hopefully, Joyce would get his mind off his brat of a daughter.

"I'm going over to the Byers's. If you aren't here by the time I get back, you will be grounded for a year and I mean it." Hopper exclaimed as he slammed the door and got in his car.

* * *

_(Eleven's POV)_

After Hopper had left, Eleven put on her blindfold and began to concentrate. She needed to know that Mike was OK. She wanted him to know that she was never going to let him go, no matter what Hopper said. Eleven entered into the dark void that she had many times before. She took a few steps until she saw Mike in the pillow fort at his house. As she knelt down, she saw that he was looking at a photo that she and him had taken of themselves at the photo booth at _Star Court_ mall.

"Mike." Eleven said as he shot up and looked around for his girlfriend.

"El, El where are you?" Mike asked as she put her hand on his cheek. He felt her touch, but could not see her hand.

"I'm reaching to you." She replied as Mike grabbed the air around him, trying to feel her.

"El, I'm so sorry. This is all my fault, I snuck you out of the cabin and now Hopper's keeping us apart." He wept.

"No Mike, I wanted to sneak out with you. It's my fault. I won't let him keep you from me." Eleven swore.

"He's your dad El." Mike reminded his girlfriend. "You can't just keep disobeying him, it'll just make things worse."

"I will be with you." Eleven assured her boyfriend.

"I know and if I could be with you every minute of every day, I would; but sometimes, we have to meet the chief halfway."

"Halfway happy?" Eleven asked.

"Yeah, something like that." Mike replied. "Look El, what I'm saying is that we'll be together with Hopper's permission or without it...but without, it'll be harder."

"What do we do?" She asked as Mike looked deep into her eyes, even though he couldn't see them.

"We just have to be patient." Mike told her. "Hopper won't keep us apart forever. He just needs to cool down and we'll probably have to suck it up and apologize." Eleven nodded as she felt Mike's cheek.

"I feel drained." she said quietly. "I have to go." Mike nodded.

"I'll call you tomorrow." He said as he put away the super-com. Eleven took off her blindfold and wiped the blood from her nose. She hid the tissue so that Hopper wouldn't know that she had talked to Mike. The last thing she wanted to do was prove to Hopper beyond a reasonable doubt that she couldn't be trusted. She laid back on her bed and wondered what she could do. Sometimes she wondered why Mike wanted her. All she had done was bring trouble and bad men into this boy's life and he loved her still. Eleven couldn't understand it.

**CAN MIKE AND ELEVEN GET HOPPER TO CALM DOWN? REVIEWS NEEDED AND APPRECIATED.**


	20. The Plan Is Made

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dr. Reaves and his superiors make plans for Eleven.

_Hawkins. Indiana_

_(Dr. Reaves POV)_

After the fiasco at the mall, Dr. Cameron Reaves had immediately gone to a grassy knoll near the mall and used his communicator to report back to Area 51. Dr. Sheldon Hofstadter and Agent Tyrone Seibert had intercepted his transmission.

"Dr. Reaves, this is Groom Lake, do you copy. Over?" Dr. Hofstadter asked.

"This is Dr. Cameron Reaves, I'm receiving you loud and clear. Over." Dr. Reaves replied.

"Reaves, this is Agent Seibert. Have you done any considerable exploring of Hawkins, over." Agent Seibert inquired.

"I have, it is quite similar to our own reality, the major difference seems to be that in Hawkins, it is the year 1985, over." Reaves reported.

"1980's America." Seibert muttered to himself. "Totally Tubular."

"Have you found anything of scientific interest? Over." Hofstadter inquired.

"Indeed I have, you might want to sit down for this." Cameron insisted as Sheldon and Tyrone both sat down. "I have come into contact with a inter dimensional entity that possesses telekinetic abilities, over.”The two men looked at each other in surprise.

"Is that a confirmation? Over." Dr. Hofstadter asked.

"Affirmative. The entity is a preteen female by the name of Jane Hopper. Over." Dr. Reaves explained.

"A child?" Agent Seibert asked incredulously. "Have you have extended contact with the entity? Over."

"Negative. I was prevented from having contact by the local chief of Hawkins law enforcement. There are individuals in Hawkins who are aware of the child's abilities and they seem Hellbent on ensuring that this knowledge stay secret. Over."

"Damn it."

"What do you suggest I do? Over."

"Stand by for further instructions, over." Seibert said as he turned to Hofstadter. "This child sounds very promising."

"She does indeed." He agreed. "We must discuss this issues further. In the meantime, what do we tell Cameron?"

"I suggest we encourage him to conduct surveillance on the entity and see if he can collect more data that might aid us when a plan of action is formed." Seibert decided as he and Hofstadter turned back to Reaves.

"Reaves, Dr. Hofstadter and I will develop a proper course of action to take regarding your discovery." Agent Seibert explained. "In the meantime, it would prove helpful if you could track down the entity and conduct surveillance on it. Over."

"You mean spy on her? Over." Dr. Reaves asked nervously.

"Yes, we need to be aware of how developed her abilities are and what obstacles stand in our way if she should decide to...make contact. Over." Seibert insisted. Cameron was quiet for a moment and then heaved a sigh. He wasn't thrilled about provoking the chief, but his superior had given him orders. What else could he do but carry them out?

"Affirmative. Contact me when you have formulated a plan. Over." Reaves replied.

"Will do. Over and out." Tyrone said as he ended the transmission.

* * *

_Area 51, Nevada._

_(Dr. Hofstadter's POV)_

After Agent Seibert had ended the transmission with Dr. Reaves, Dr. Sheldon Hofstadter waited to see what he would recommend. After thinking about the situation in silence for a few minutes, Seibert made a decision.

"I want that girl." He said.

"If what Cameron said is true, these people are not just going to let us run tests on her." Hofstadter argued.

"I'm sorry Sheldon, you seem to have mistaken me for someone who gives a shit about what the inhabitants of Hawkins want." Tyrone shot back. "I want that girl and I intend to get her."

"I'm just saying..."

"And if you want project VOID to stay afloat, you want me to get her." Seibert insisted. "We have spent billions of government dollars on your brain child and what have we gotten for it? Huh? A freckled fat ass ginger who keeps crying for her mommy and her daddy. That is not acceptable. I've gotten more from S4 in a month then i've gotten from you and Reaves in a year." This got Dr. Hofstadter enraged. He was quite fed up with having to compete with UFO's. Research into parallel dimensions was just as important.

"That is bullshit. We are making actual scientific progress. All you've gotten from S4 is a bunch of banged up flying saucers, a few alien corpses, and a couple EBE's that you can't talk to without telepathy."

"Those banged up flying saucers are responsible for the supremacy of our air force above all others." agent Seibert argued. We have the U2, we have the SR-71 blackbird spy plane, we have the F1-17A stealth fighter, and we have the SR-75 penetrater. It's because of S4 that we dominate the skies."

"We work hard to bring you scientific advances and all you think about is how to weaponize them." Dr. Hofstadter argued back.

"The supremacy of the United States must not be challenged." Seibert insisted. "S4 has proved that they are worth our time and our money, it is time for project VOID to do the same. If this entity has the abilities that Reaves claimed to have witnessed. She would be an asset to us."

"What do you suggest?"

"We and a team of scientists and weapons specialists will go to Hawkins and take this "Jane Hopper" into our custody by any means necessary." Seibert decided.

"You mean kidnap her?" Sheldon asked incredulously.

"If we have to." Tyrone replied.

"All right, let's ignore the fact the kidnapping is a felony. Let' say that we manage to kidnap this girl and bring her back here. Do you think that she is just going to let you use her for your purposes?" Seibert looked at him as he pulled out a pistol in his right hand and a stun gun in his left.

"By the time i'm done with her, she'll be like a trained seal at _Sea world."_ he insisted with a wicked smirk that made Sheldon Hofstadter's blood run ice cold.

**ELEVEN IS IN GRAVE DANGER. CAN SHE FIGHT OFF THESE BAD MEN? REVIEWS NEEDED AND APPRECIATED.**


	21. Lovely & Unlovely Recollections

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eleven reminisces about bearing her soul for Mike.

_Hawkins, Indiana._

_(Eleven's POV)_

The next few days were agonizing for Eleven. Hopper had eventually calmed down and he'd had a long talk with his daughter to remind her of the Don't Be Stupid Rules. After she promised that she would try to follow the rules better, Hopper went back to his original punishment. Eleven didn't like it, but it was better to be grounded for a week instead of a month. She still missed her boyfriend, but she couldn't see him for three more days. There was nothing she wanted more than to get on her hands and knees, humble herself before the great Chief Jim Hopper and beg him to allow her to at least call Mike Wheeler. However, she had learned not to push her luck. Eleven had stuck her head inside the lion's mouth and pulled it out once. She knew better than to try it a second time. It was just so difficult for her not to see and talk to Mike everyday. He was her soul mate, she could be honest with him about everything and she had done so. She had told him things that she had not told anyone else; not even Hopper. Mike never judged her or made her feel bad about herself. He always understood and he gave her his support and his undying love. An example was when Eleven told Mike that she had found her mother and aunt.

* * *

_Hawkins, Indiana._

_Two Months Ago_

_(Mike's POV)_

It had been a long day for Mike Wheeler. He had gotten into a huge fight with his mother. It had actually been about his relationship with Eleven. She was still not allowed out following the advice of Dr. Owens, so Mike had going over to Chief Hopper's cabin almost every day to see her. Hopper raised Hell of course, but he had to count his blessings. If Jane and the Wheeler boy had to be together, he would rather it be in his house where he could keep an eye on them to ward off any hormonal thoughts Mike might be harboring. Of course, Mike would never be that stupid as to try something without Eleven's permission or while Hopper was there, but better safe than sorry. Anyway, Karen Wheeler had been getting hard on her son because he kept going over to Chief Hopper's cabin to see his adopted daughter. She knew very little about her and did not like all the secrets. Mike told her that it was complicated. This was not good enough for Karen and they argued until Mike finally had enough and went over to Hopper's cabin. When Eleven opened the door, she and Mike embraced. Once he'd had a chance to calm himself, he explained what happened.

"It's my mom, she gets upset that I keep coming to see you." Mike said. "She wants to know everything, but she can't. I wish she could just be happy for me. That I have you in my life. She's so stupid." Eleven squeezed Mike's hand. Truthfully, she felt jealous that he had a mom who could talk to him. Even if she was nosy.

"At least your mama talks." She said softly.

"Doesn't yours?" Mike asked. "You said that you found her, but you didn't really talk about it in detail." It had been a few weeks after Eleven returned when she was with the party that she let it slip that she had found her aunt and mother. However, she didn't want to explain the horror that she had learned and the party wisely decided to congratulate her and leave it at that.

"Mama can't talk...or move..." Eleven said as she began to tear up.

"El...I'm really sorry." Mike replied as he held her in his arms.

"Papa hurt her because she tried to take me back." El added.

"I wish he wasn't dead." Mike gritted through his teeth. "So I could kill him for everything he did to you."

"I understand." Eleven said as she turned his head and kissed his lips. She knew that Mike would be no match for a man like Brenner, but it was the thought that he wanted to avenge her pain and she loved him for it.

* * *

_Hawkins, Indiana._

_(Eleven's POV)_

It was times such as that when Eleven felt most close to Mike. He made her feel safe and loved and cared for the way no one else did. Not even Hopper made her feel that way. It was the same when Eleven told him about her time with Kali or Eight.

* * *

_Hawkins, Indiana._

_One Month Ago._

_(Mike's POV)_

Mike had been floating on Cloud 9 when Eleven had told him that she could soend the day at his house. Ted and Karen were going on a day trip to Indianapolis in a desperate attempt to spice up their marriage and everyone was in agreement that it needed spicing. Nancy was left to babysit her younger brother and sister, which made Hopper more relaxed at the idea. He had dropped Eleven off at the Wheeler home and promised to return in 4 hours when his shift was over. It had been a long time since Eleven had been in the Wheeler home, so Mike gave her a tour to refresh her memory. Everything was familiar to her until he showed her Nancy's bedroom.

"Do you love your sisters Mike?" Eleven asked out of the blue. Mike was a bit taken aback by the question.

"Um...yeah. I love them." He replied.

"Do they love you?" She asked again as Mike nodded. When they got to his room, Eleven sat on the bed. Mike could tell that something was wrong.

"Do you have any brothers or sisters El?" He asked in turn. Eleven nodded.

"Sister...her name is Kali, or Eight." She replied.

"Eight? You mean she's from the lab?"

"Yes, she escaped. She found friends and now she goes around killing the bad men." Mike sat down next to Eleven as she spoke about this killer sister.

"Did you ever meet Eight, I mean, Kali?" He inquired.

"Mama...she wanted me to find her. She was in Chicago. We found one of the bad men who hurt mama." Eleven said as she shot daggers at the wall. "I wanted to kill him, but he had kids. Kali was mad cause I showed mercy." Mike squeezed her hand. It was hard to think of her as a killer when she was such a kind and gentle person. Of course she had killed bad men at the school, but that was different. She had done to save him and their friends. Self-defense is not murder.

"I think you did the right thing El." Mike replied. "I know how it feels to want to kill someone, it's so easy, but it takes a lot of strength to be merciful. You are stronger than Kali is." Eleven smiled through her tears as she held onto Mike tightly. She was strong, but around Mike, she didn't have to be. When she was alone with him, she could be weak and he had loved her when she was at her weakest. They leaned back in Mike's bed as they kissed each other with a great deal of passion.

**I WANTED TO HAVE SOME MILEVEN FLUFF BEFORE WE GET INTO THE DARK STUFF. NEXT TIME, MAJESTIC 12 COMES FOR ELEVEN. CAN SHE FIGHT THEM OFF? REVIEWS NEEDED AND APPRECIATED.**


	22. Eleven Is Captured

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike and Eleven are led into a trap and are caught by Majestic 12.

_Hawkins, Indiana_

_(Dr. Reaves POV)_

On the day that everything changed for everyone, Dr. Cameron Reaves woke up rather early. He got dressed, had a quick breakfast and then headed over to the Wheeler residence. He had been spying on Mike and Eleven and had learned where the boy lived. He had even been inside his house at one point. Dr. Reaves had posed as an AV enthusiast and made the claim that he was hoping to talk to Mike for his magazine. He picked it up during a conversation Mike had with Eleven about his AV club at Hawkins Middle school.

"Hello, are you Mike Wheeler's Mother?" Reaves asked as Karen Wheeler answered the door.

"Yes, can I help you." She asked in return.

"I'm a local AV enthusiast and I was told that your son is president of the Hawkins Middle school AV club." His mother had taken the bait and allowed him to come in. During the conversation, Cameron had feigned the need for a bathroom break and had used the opportunity to look in the Wheeler boy's room. There he had found pictures of Mike and Eleven from their date at the Star Court mall. He took one of the pictures and put it in his pocket. After another 15 minutes of mindless small talk, Dr. Reaves bid Mrs. Wheeler good day and made his exit. Once he had put distance between himself and Mike's home, he pulled out his communicator.

"Reaves to Groom Lake, do you copy? Over." Reaves called out.

"Hofstadter to Reaves, we read you loud and clear. Over." Dr. Sheldon Hofstadter replied.

"Are you in Hawkins? Over."

"Affirmative. Agent Seibert, myself, and seventeen Majestic 12 agents went through VOID successfully. Based on your transmitter, we are 5 miles away from your current position. Over."

"Seibert to Reaves, do you copy? Over." Agent Tyrone Seibert called in.

"Reaves to Seibert, I copy. Is the plan to capture Jane Hopper still a go? Over." Cameron inquired.

"Affirmative. We have chloroform, tranquilizers, tear gas, and rubber bullets. This should suffice. All we need is a strategy. We need to get her alone somewhere. Can you work something out Reaves? Over."

"Affirmative. There's a junk yard 3 miles from my current position. I'll lure her there and we can ambush her. Over.." Dr. Reaves explained.

"All right, we'll regroup there at 0300 hours. Over and out." Agent Seibert said as he ended the transmission. Reaves moved with haste to put his plan into action.

* * *

_Hawkins, Indiana._

_(Eleven's POV)_

Meanwhile, Jane "Eleven" Hopper was spending the afternoon with her beloved boyfriend. She had been officially ungrounded and Chief Hopper had taken Joyce out for a day trip. He had told his daughter that she was not allowed to have anyone over, but Eleven had to see Mike again. She had to. Mike biked over to Hopper's cabin and did the special knock. Eleven immediately opened the door and wrapped her arms around him. Once the door had been closed, their lips met. There was nothing Mike enjoyed more than kissing Eleven. Not even D&D campaigns compared to being around her. Some people might say that they were too clingy, but Eleven didn't care at all. Mike was her whole world just as she was his. After a long session of making out, they stopped long enough to sit on the couch.

"I've missed you so much El." Mike said as he held her hands in his.

"Me too. I've wanted to see you all week." Eleven replied as she rested her head on his shoulder. As they laid back on the couch and enjoyed being in each other's presence, Mike noticed that a note had been slipped under the door. He got up and went over to get it.

"What's that?" Eleven asked as Mike sat back down.

"A note." Mike replied as he began to read.

_Great news for the party, meet us at the junkyard in 10 minutes. It'll be totally tubular._

_Sincerely, Lucas_ _the ranger, Will the Cleric, Dustin the bard, and Max the Zoomer_

As Eleven read the note, she wasn't quite sure what to think. It was unusual for their friends to just leave notes out of the blue, but there was nothing suspicious otherwise.

"What do you think the surprise is?" Eleven asked as she squeezed Mike's hand.

"I don't know." Mike replied. "Let's go find out." He and Eleven went outside and got on his bike and headed over to the junkyard. Little did they know that this surprise would be anything but pleasant.

* * *

_(Mike's POV)_

As Mike pedaled to the junkyard, Eleven held onto him tightly. He absolutely loved it when she did that. As they stopped at the bus they had taken shelter in when Dr. Martin Brenner had been hunting them, they saw that the rest of their party was not there.

"Hello?" Mike called out.

"Friends?" Eleven called as well. No one answered. Suddenly, they saw a figure in a hazmat suit. As the figure got closer, they saw that it was Dr. Cameron Reaves.

"What the Hell!" Mike shouted as Eleven shot daggers at him.

"I'm sorry Mike, you weren't supposed to be here." He said. Eleven pushed him onto his ass with her powers as gunshots began to ring out. Mike felt himself being hit with rubber bullets.

"Don't waste the bullets!" A voice cried out. "Just use the gas bombs!" Suddenly several figures in hazmat suits came out of hiding began shooting off grenades filled with tear gas. Mike could barley see as Eleven began fighting them off with her powers. She was clearly weak, but she fought on, throwing men into scrap metal and even killing a couple out right. Eleven fought hard, but she was losing. The men were shooting her with tranquilizer darts and she was struggling to stay on her feet. Finally, as she kneeled. A black man in a hazmat suit came up and doused her with a bottle of chloroform. As Eleven fell on the ground, Mike crawled over to her and grasped her hand.

"Mike..." She cried as she went in and out of consciousness.

"El...I love you more than anything in the world." Mike cried in return. At the sound of this, Eleven gave her boyfriend a smile. He could see that she was trying to be brave for him.

"Mike...loves...me..." Eleven whispered as she fell asleep with the smallest smile on her face.

* * *

_(Dr. Reaves POV)_

When it was all over, Seibert stood over the girl's body. He laughed as he stood over his prize.

"We did it." He said with glee. "We got her!"

"You bastards!" Mike shouted as a MJ-12 agent knocked him out cold.

"Are you insane Seibert?" Dr. Reaves shouted. "You could've killed her."

"Relax Cameron, she's not going to die." Dr. Hofstadter insisted.

"We got what we came for men, let's go home." Tyrone said as Hofstadter picked up Jane's body and walked away. As Cameron followed his comrades, he took one last look at the Wheeler boy. He felt such pity for the boy, but what could he do?

**CAN ELEVEN FIGHT HER WAY OUT OF AREA 51? CAN MIKE, HOPPER, AND THE REST OF THE PARTY SAVE HER? REVIEWS NEEDED AND APPRECIATED.**


	23. The Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Party reacts to the kidnapping of Eleven.

_Hawkins, Indiana_

_(Hopper's POV)_

During the kidnapping of his adopted daughter, Chief Jim Hopper had been spending another dull and boring day at the office. After he took a lunch break, he decided to call Jane and see how she was doing. He called the cabin and the phone rang on and on, but no one ever picked up. The chief immediately went into panic mode and decided that he had to check up on his daughter. As he left his office, he caught Flo's attention.

"Where are you off to in such a hurry, Hop?" She asked as Hopper grabbed his hat.

"I need to check on Jane." He replied. "I will be back as soon as I can." Hopper got in his vehicle and took off through Hawkins. After 9 minutes of reckless driving, he finally made it to the cabin. Hopper unlocked the door to find an empty cabin.

"Jane!" He cried out. "Talk to me, kid." Chief Hopper looked through the entire cabin, only to find that it was completely devoid of life. He sat on the couch to catch his breath and as he swore loudly, he noticed a note on the ground. He read over it and crumpled it in his hands. "Damn it kid, I tell you to stay out for one freaking day and you can't even do that!" He swore as he left the cabin, got back in his truck and headed for the junkyard.

* * *

_(Mike's POV)_

When Chief Hopper arrived at the junkyard, he saw the unconcious body of Mike Wheeler near the old bus. He ran over to the boy and began to shake him.

"Come on kid, come to." Hopper said as Mike began to come around.

"ELEVEN!" He shouted as he began to punch the chief. "Let her go, you pieces of shit!"

"Whoa, hold on kid, it's me. It's Hopper." He said as Mike looked up and recognized the chief.

"Hopper..." Mike moaned as he buried his face in the chief's chest and sobbed his guts out.

"Where is Jane?" Hopper asked Mike as he sobbed uncontrollably. "Where is she?"

"They took her...they took her." He wailed as Hopper shook him for more information.

"Who took her Wheeler?" The Chief roared. "WHO?":

"Dr. Reaves and the bad men. They captured her and they took her away."

"What in the Hell were you doing here?" Hopper shouted. "I told Jane to stay at home, she wasn't allowed out!"

"We were just hanging out at your place and..."

"You came over! God damn it boy! I told her that you couldn't come over. If you two would listen to me for once in your lives. Why did you two leave?"

"We got a note that we thought was from the party, they had a surprise for us."

"I saw it, Reaves must have been following you, just waiting for a chance to get her alone." Hopper stood up and kicked the dust. His daughter had been kidnapped by more scientists and he had no idea where to look for her.

"What are we going to do?" Mike asked in fear.

"Come on, we need to go somewhere and make a plan." Hopper replied as he dragged the Wheeler boy over to his truck. He needed to figure out a plan to find his daughter before those bastards from the department of energy had their way with her.

* * *

_(Joyce's POV)_

Joyce Byers had just gotten off work. She walked through the front door when Will and Jonathan came running up to her.

"Mom, everyone's coming over." Jonathan said frantically.

"What's wrong baby?" Joyce asked as he sat on the couch.

"I don't know. Mike said it was about Eleven and he didn't want to talk about it over the Supercom." Will replied as he and Joyce joined Jonathan on the couch. Within a few minutes, the entire party, including Chief Jim Hopper and Mike's older sister Nancy arrived at the Byers house. Mike had received a black eye from the man who had punched him. They all sat down as Chief Hopper paced around the room.

"What's going on Hop?" Joyce asked as she wrapped her arms around him. He sighed and turned to his love.

"They took Jane. She's gone." He said as everyone turned to stone.

"You mean, Eleven's gone." Lucas asked in disbelief as Mike nodded.

"Who took her?" Nancy asked.

"A group of scientists, they're probably from the department of energy." Hopper answered.

"Son of a bitch." Dustin swore as he threw his hat down.

"How are we supposed to get her back." Will asked.

"I don't know, I'll have to find Dr. Owens and see if he knows anything. He should be able to check the records and see if he can find anything on this "Cameron Reaves" guy." Hopper explained. Mike stood up at this and he was angry.

"We can't just sit here and do nothing, we need to go out and look for El!" He insisted.

"We don't know where to look for her." Hopper argued. "That's why I need Owens to run a search for for Reaves."

"She's in danger!" Mike shot back. "They could be torturing her or..."

"You're right, they could very well be and may I point out that if you would have stayed away, like I asked. Jane would still be here and we would not be having this conversation."

"Hop..." Joyce started to say.

"I might be able to take a break if you weren't always keeping us apart." Mike stated.

"I let you be around her when it's safe." Hopper pointed out.

"You kept us apart for 353 days, 353 days!" Mike shouted. "I felt like I was dead! You keep her locked up in that cabin. She never gets to go anywhere, nothing ever happens."

"Yeah, nothing happens and she stays safe!" Hopper shouted back. "She is my daughter and I am her father. I protect and I feed and I teach and all I ask is for you two not be stupid and you can't even do that!"

"She's not Sarah!" Mike shouted as everyone turned to face him, including Hopper.

"What did you just say?" Hopper asked as he got in Mike's face.

"Don't do it Mike." Will pleaded.

"Hop, please let's just calm down." Joyce said as she tried to restrain him.

"No Joyce, if the boy has something to say, than he better say it."

"El told me about your real daughter. That's why you keep her locked up, why you won't her her do anything or go anywhere, that's why you try to keep us away. You're afraid that you'll lose her just like you lost Sarah!" Mike screamed as Hopper punched him in the face. Everyone gasped as Mike fell to the floor.

"YOU HAVE NO RIGHT, TO SAY HER NAME!" Hopper roared as Joyce held him back.

"What the Hell!" Dustin shouted as he, Lucas, and Will ran over to check on their paladin.

"Jim, get out!" Joyce shouted as she pushed him towards the door.

"Joyce..."

"Just go, get out of my house, you've done enough!" Joyce said as the chief grabbed his hat and stormed out.

**WITH INTERNAL STRUGGLE THREATENING TO TEAR THEM APART, CAN THE PARTY COME TOGETHER TO RESCUE THEIR MAGE? REVIEWS NEEDED AND APPRECIATED.**


	24. As Proper An Introduction As Possible

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eleven adjusts to her situation as Dr. Reaves laments his own.

_Area 51, Nevada._

_(Eleven's POV)_

Eleven woke up to find herself on a cold metal cot, wearing nothing but a hospital gown. As she sat up, she saw that she was in a windowless room all by herself.

"Mike..." she whispered as she looked around. There was no one in the room but her. "Mike!" She cried out again as she stood up, hoping that her one true love would materialize before her very eyes. "MIKE!" She screamed as she pounded on the door. No one answered and Eleven slumped to the floor in tears. This place reminded her so much of the lab where her papa had tortured her for so many years. She laid back on the bed and tried to imagine that Mike was there with her, telling her to be strong, that if she made it out, he would let her have all the Eggos she wanted. After what seemed like an eternity of waiting, the door opened and Dr. Cameron Reaves walked in. He was wearing a lab coat over his regular clothes.

"Hello Jane, how are we feeling today?" Dr. Reaves asked as Eleven pushed him into the wall.

"Where's Mike?" She demanded as she walked over to him.

"He's all right." Reaves said as he stood up. "I understand your upset, but please listen to me. I didn't want to kidnap you, but I had no choice in the matter. I'm not in charge here. My bosses want you here and I have to follow my orders...whether I agree with them or not. Have you ever had to do things you didn't want to do?" Eleven remembered the experiments in Hawkins National Laboratory. How papa had made her hurt the cat and go into the bath to find the Demogorgon and open the gate to the Upside Down.

"Yes." She replied.

"Could I sit down for a moment?" Cameron asked as Eleven scooted over on the end to make room for the theoretical physicist.

"It's very important that you understand that what you can do...it's a gift, and we just want to know how and why you've been so gifted." He explained. "I don't want to cause you pain, but there are men here that may hurt you if you don't cooperate. I don't want to see you get hurt, so please just try to behave." Eleven looked away. This man seemed friendly, but she still didn't trust him after he had led her and Mike into a trap.

"I want to see Mike." She said with determination.

"I know, but it's very complicated right now." Dr. Reaves explained. "We are very far away from Hawkins and my bosses want you to remain here, at least for the time being."

"I don't care...what they want. Mike needs me. He loves me." Eleven argued.

"I have no doubt that he does, it's just that this is not an easy situation to explain and given the circumstances of your...circumstances, you need to work with me." Reaves pleaded. "If you behave, I can try to get you back to Hawkins sooner rather than later. Please?" Eleven was silent, she didn't know whether to trust Dr. Reaves, but if there was a chance that doing what he said could get her back to Mike, she had to try.

"OK...but not friends." She replied, making sure that Cameron wasn't getting the wrong idea.

"I understand." He replied as he got up and left the room. As he walked away, Cameron Reaves was beginning to regret having a part in taking the girl.

* * *

_(Dr. Reaves POV)_

As Dr. Cameron Reaves left Jane alone in her cell, Dr. Sheldon Hofstadter was there to greet him. "I trust that you have conducted a through examination of the entity." Dr. Hofstadter said.

"I have..." Dr. Reaves replied. "Sheldon, I don't feel comfortable about this."

"What do you mean?" Hofstadter inquired.

"When I brought miss Holland here, it was different." Reaves insisted. "She was trapped and weakened in AU0135, but Jane...we kidnapped her from her home, from her loved ones."

"We did as we were instructed by Agent Seibert. When Majestic 12 gives you an order, that's the way it has to be, you know that."

"Still, we did a bad thing, we've committed a felony!"

"As far as anyone outside of this place is concerned, Jane Hopper doesn't exist." Sheldon explained. "As far as anyone outside of this place is concerned, we do not exist. Therefore, we have not committed a crime because no crime has been committed, understand?"

"It's still wrong." Cameron muttered as Dr. Hofstadter gave him a stern look.

"You keep talking like that and Seibert is going to think that you're a liability and you know how Majestic 12 feels about those. You might as well throw yourself off this building, you would be dead already." He warned.

"You think I don't know that!" Dr. Reaves shot back.

"I can't afford to lose you." Hofstadter reminded Reaves. "You and I are the only ones involved with project VOID who actually know what they are doing. All of our "assistants" only have basic knowledge of theoretical physics, let alone dimensional theory. The only reason they were hired was because they know how to keep their mouths shut."

"So, What do you expect me to do?"

"I expect you to get your ass in that room and do your damn job. Tell Jane to give MJ-12 whatever they want and maybe she'll stay alive." Cameron sighed as he walked away to make note of his progress. He wanted to help Jane and Barbara, but what could he do? If refused to do as Agent Seibert demanded of him, Seibert would simply kill him and find someone who would. It felt as though Dr. Cameron Reaves was facing death every day.

**WHERE DO THE LOYALTIES OF CAMERON REAVES TRULY LIE? REVIEWS NEEDED AND APPRECIATED.**


	25. Barb Meets Eleven...& Her Fate?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eleven meets our beloved Barb at last while Dr. Reaves and Dr. Hofstadter argue over her fate.

_Area 51, Nevada_

_(Barb's POV)_

Barbara Holland felt as if she was losing her grip on reality. She was tired of being trapped in this room. She wanted to go home. Her daily visits from Dr. Reaves had helped, but they had become less and less frequent. Her interrogation with Agent Seibert had been pure torture. He had asked her questions about Hawkins and about where she had come from and how she had come to be in the horrible dark place that Reaves had found her in. Barb had tried to explain to the man that she knew next to nothing about the circumstances which had led her to this place, but Seibert didn't believe her. Eventually, when his threats and intimidation yielded no information, he resorted to beatings. He struck the poor girl across the face, he punched her in the stomach, he even threw her down to the ground and kicked her. Yet, Barb could not give him any information and he had written her off as useless. After Seibert's visit, Dr. Reaves's visits became erratic. He would hardly come in and when he did show up, it was only for a couple minutes. He told Barb that he was working on an important project and had very little free time. In light of the fact that Cameron was the only person within the base who treated her with any semblance of respect or practical concern for her well being, Barb felt very lonely. She was suffering from cabin fever since she was not allowed out of her cell and she was not allowed to do anything. She was brought food and drink three times a day, but it was passed through a slot; so there was basically no human interaction or contact. Every day felt to Barb as if it were a battle for her own sanity. Finally, after what seemed like years. The door to her cell opened and Dr. Cameron Reaves walked in.

"Dr. Reaves!" Barb exclaimed with genuine enthusiasm.

"Hello Barbara." Reaves replied as he closed the door. Barb moved over on the bed so that Cameron could sit next to her. "I'm sorry that I haven't been in to see you as often as I would like, unfortunately my work has kept me immensely busy."

"I understand." She replied. "What have you been doing?"

"I'm afraid I can't tell you. It's classified government business." Dr. Reaves replied. "However, what I can tell you is that I am working on getting you released so you can go back to Hawkins."

"Seriously?" Barb asked as she lit up.

"Indeed." he nodded. "It may take some time, but hopefully, my superiors can be persuaded. Now, there is something else I wanted to tell you. You must be feeling pretty lonely, i'm sure?"

"Yeah." Barb agreed.

"You see, I have recently been on a trip to Hawkins and I have brought someone back."

"Is is Nancy?"

"I'm afraid not. Her name is Jane. Does that mean anything to you?" Reaves inquired. Barb shook her head.

"Well, I thought that it might be a good idea for the two of you to meet. Would you be open to that?" He asked.

"Yes." Barb replied.

"Wonderful. I shall take you to her." Cameron said as he offered Barb his hand. She took it and he led her out of the cell.

* * *

_(Dr. Reaves POV)_

Dr. Cameron Reaves led Barbara Holland through a long corridor until they arrived at a similar cell to her own. He unlocked the door and the two went inside. There on the bed was Jane "Eleven" Hopper. Barb was surprised at the sight of the young frightened girl.

"Hello Jane, i've brought you some company." He said as he closed the door. "Jane, this is Barbara. Barbara, this is Jane."

"Hi Jane." Barb said as she sat on the bed.

"Hello." Eleven replied. "Are you better?"

"What do you mean?"

"I saw you, in the Upside Down." Dr. Reaves was surprised at this.

"The Upside Down?" He asked before he realized what she meant. "You've been to AU0135!" Eleven shook her head.

"Upside Down." She repeated.

"You call it the Upside Down? Well, we call it AU0135. How did you get there?"

"In the bath."

"The bath, what bath?" Reaves asked.

"It's filled with water and salt and I wear a blindfold." Eleven explained.

"It sounds like a sensory Deprivation tank." He concluded. "You mean to tell me that by using a sensory deprivation tank, you can achieve inter dimensional travel?"

"Yes." Cameron was speechless for a minute.

"Fascinating...I knew you were gifted before, but this is extraordinary." He remarked. Eleven and Barb began to discuss other non sciency things when there was a knock at the door. Dr. Reaves went to answer it and there stood Dr. Sheldon Hofstadter.

"Dr. Reaves, could I have a word with you in private?" He asked.

"Certainly." Once the two men were alone, Dr. Hofstadter sighed.

"I've received orders from Agent Seibert." He said.

"And those are?" Dr. Reaves asked.

"Seeing as Jane is our new asset and that Barbara Holland never showed any powers or had any useful information to share with us...Majestic 12 has decided that she is of no use to project VOID."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning...Miss Holland is to be disposed of, we have to put her down." Hofstadter replied. Reaves was floored.

"You mean euthanize her?" He exclaimed. "We can't. She has no severe medical illness that would warrant such action."

"This is not up for debate Cameron." Sheldon argued. "This is..."

"This is murder!" He shouted.

"Under the circumstances..."

"Under the circumstances, this is murder."

"When MJ-12 sends word, that is the way it has to be. It is a scientific matter." Dr. Hofstadter stated as Dr. Reaves gave him a fierce look.

"There is no scientific hypothesis or discovery or award that would get me to condone the cold blooded murder of an innocent teenage girl." He replied. Hofstadter sighed.

"Like I said, this is not up for debate. MJ-12 expects to procedure to commence tomorrow at 0800 hours." He explained as he walked off. Reaves looked down at the floor, utterly conflicted. He had received his orders, but Barb was such a sweet and intelligent girl. How could he just put her to sleep like a sick dog? At that moment, Dr. Cameron Reaves made a decision that would change his life and his career: He could not carry out this order. He would not.

**HOW CAN CAMERON SAVE BARB? HAS HE FINALLY CHOSEN A SIDE? REVIEWS NEEDED AND APPRECIATED.**


	26. The Death & Resurrection Of Barbara Holland

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dr. Reaves finds a way to save Barb.

_Area 51, Nevada._

_(Barb's POV)_

The next day, Barb was thinking about the conversation that she'd had with Eleven. She was very shy. A girl of few words, one might say. However, she still came across as a kind and caring person. Eleven had told Barb about all the things that had happened in Hawkins while she was away. She was glad to hear that Nancy was all right. Despite everything that had happened with Nancy and Steve Harrington, she was still Barb's best friend in all the world. Barb was also surprised to hear that Eleven was in a relationship with Nancy's little brother. Nancy had never talked about him much, except to point out how much of a massive nerd he was; as were his friends. The conversation got darker though when Eleven began to talk about how she had been stolen from her mother's womb and raised in Hawkins National Laboratory. Barb had actually cried as Eleven told her how cruel Dr. Martin Brenner or Papa, as Eleven called him, had been.

"He really locked you in that room by yourself?" Barb asked in disbelief. Eleven nodded. Barbara Holland did not want to believe in the possibility of such things, but her time at Groom Lake had convinced her that anything was possible. However, Barb was truly crushed when Eleven told her about her capture. She couldn't believe that Cameron Reaves had led her into a trap. Barb no longer knew whether she could trust the theoretical physicist or not. It seemed at first to be sheer coincidence that as she was wrestling with these thoughts, the doctor himself entered her cell.

"Dr. Reaves." Barb said in surprise. "I wasn't expecting you." Reaves sighed.

"I apologize for the intrusion." he said. "I wasn't expecting to be calling on you in...this manner."

This manner?" Barb asked in confusion. Cameron sighed as he sat down next to Barbara. He felt as if he wanted to throw up. He tried to say something, anything to put the poor girl at ease; alas, he broke down and started to cry. Barb was shocked as she tried to comfort him with a gentle touch.

"Dr. Reaves, are you OK?" She asked as he shook his head. "Please don't cry."

"I am a piece of shit." Dr. Reaves stuttered. "I'm an awful person." Barb took his hand and squeezed it.

"Come on, you've always been a nice guy, whatever you did, it couldn't be that bad." She said, hoping that she was right.

"It is not something I have done Barb, it's something I have been ordered to do." He replied. Barb looked at him with pity in her eyes.

"Well, what have you been ordered to do?" Barb asked fearfully as he looked into her eyes.

"I have been ordered to kill you." Reaves stated. "Agent Seibert has decided that you are of no use to project VOID; seeing as Jane has powers and you don't...he says that I have to euthanize you immediately."

"But you aren't going to, right?" Barb asked, nearing tears. "Right?" Cameron sat still for a moment before looking at Barb with determination.

"No, if Tyrone wants to be a cold blooded killer, that's his business. He won't make it mine." He stated as he rushed out of the cell, only to return moments later with a small case. He opened it to reveal two syringes. One red and one green.

"What are those?" Barb asked.

"Now the red syringe contains a chemical called Succinylcholine." Dr. Reaves explained. "It'll reduce your heartbeat to an undetectable crawl, and the green syringe is the antidote. I'll inject you with the Succinylcholine to get Dr. Hofstadter to think you're dead, then I'll inject you with the antidote and use project VOID to send you back to Hawkins. The only trick is that I have 90 minutes to get you the antidote or the Succinylcholine will kill you." Barb rolled up her sleeve so Reaves could inject her.

"Dr. Reaves..."

"Yes Barb..."

"Thank you." She said as he smiled.

"You're not back in Hawkins yet." Cameron replied as he injected her with the Succinylcholine

* * *

_(Dr. Reaves POV)_

_"_ Sheldon!" Dr. Cameron Reaves called out as Dr. Sheldon Hofstadter rushed over to Barbara Holland's cell. "What's going on Cameron?" He asked as he walked inside the cell and saw what he believed was the corpse of Barbara Holland.

"It's done." Dr. Reaves informed Dr. Hofstadter as he checked for a pulse. When he could find none, he turned to his colleague.

"I'll inform MJ-12 that miss Holland has been disposed of." Hofstadter replied. "I trust you can get her to the incinerator." Reaves nodded as his superior left. Once he and Barb were alone, he injected her with the antidote. It would take five minutes for her to come around, so he had time to get VOID ready. He loaded Barb into a stretcher and took her out to the main lab.

"Ready project VOID, we're sending a corpse back to AU0136." Cameron ordered.

"Did Dr. Hofstadter sign off on this?" One scientist asked.

"Majestic 12 signed off on this. Do you want Agent Seibert to come down her and tell you himself?" Dr. Reaves asked as everyone shut up and got to work, because no one wanted him there unless he absolutely had to be there. As the machine was readied, Reaves put Barb's body into the portal. "All right, hit it." The machine hummed to life as the supposed corpse was instantly transported to Hawkins. Cameron smiled as Barb disappeared. He had disobeyed Majestic 12 and had triumphed. He was not out of the woods yet through. He still had to figure out a way to save Jane, and Seibert wasn't going to let go of her that easily.

**CAN BARB HELP THE PARTY FIND ELEVEN? REVIEWS NEEDED AND APPRECIATED.**


	27. What About Eleven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The party celebrates the return of Barb, but still mourn for Eleven.

_Hawkins, Indiana._

_(Barb's POV)_

When Barbara Holland awoke, she found herself in the woods. She slowly got to her feet and looked around. The woods looked familiar, but she couldn't be sure. Barb began to walk as the sticks and leaves hurt her bare feet. She looked around, hoping to run into a familiar face, but she saw no one. After a long walk of about 15 minutes, Barb finally caught sight of the Wheeler house. She walked up to the house and saw Nancy Wheeler saying goodbye to Jonathan Byers. Barb's eyes teamed up at the sight of her dear friend as she stumbled over to her.

"Nancy!" Barb shouted as Nancy turned to look in her direction.

"Barb!" Nancy cried as she ran over and wrapped her friend in the tightest hug that she could muster. "I thought you were dead!"

"I know, it's ok. I'm alive." Barb replied as she held Nancy tightly. Nancy took Barb into her house where Mrs. Wheeler immediately called The Hollands as Nancy cleaned Barb up and tended to the wounds that agent Seibert had left on her body.

"Barb, what happened to you?" Nancy asked once Barb had cleaned herself up. "Where you in the Upside Down?"

"I think so, Dr. Reaves said something about an upside down dimension." Barb replied.

"Who's Dr. Reaves?" Nancy asked.

"I was in the Upside Down and he rescued me." Barb explained. "He is a scientist at some secret government facility."

"Was it Hawkins National Laboratory?"

"No, it was somewhere else. He was exploring different dimensions when he found me."

"Seriously!" Nancy said in shock as Barb nodded.

"Yeah, he found someone else from Hawkins, not just me." Barb said.

"Who was it?" Nancy inquired.

"Dr. Reaves called her Jane, but she told me that her name was El..."

"Eleven!" Nancy cried out. "They have Eleven?"

"You know who she is?" Barb asked in surprise.

"She's my brother's girlfriend and she has powers." Nancy said frantically.

"Hold on a second." Barb said as she calmed her best friend down. "Your little brother has a girlfriend?"

"Shocking, isn't it." Nancy said as she pulled Barb by the hand. They both ran down to the basement where they found Mike Wheeler in the pillow fort, crying for his love.

"Mike!" Nancy shouted as she dragged him out of the fort.

"Leave me alone Nancy!" Mike shouted back, he was pissed until he saw Barbara Holland.

"Barb?" Mike asked in surprise.

"She knows where Eleven is." Nancy squealed as Mike's eyes became as wide as dinner plates.

"You know where she is!" He shouted as he grabbed onto Barb. "Tell me!" Barb sighed as she took Mike's hands off of her shirt.

"It is a very long story." She replied as Mike looked at her with determination.

"We have time." He insisted as he ran to get his walkie talkie in order to summon the rest of the party.

* * *

_(Mike's POV)_

Once the party had gathered in the Wheeler's basement, Mike Wheeler listened as Barbara Holland recounted her experiences at Area 51. She told them about how Dr. Cameron Reaves had taken her out of the Upside Down and how he had tried to be her friend during her time at Groom Lake and how the cruel Agent Tyrone Seibert had beaten her in an attempt to get information that neither of them possessed and how she had been sentenced to death and how Dr. Reaves had helped her escape. Everyone was shocked and amazed. Everyone except Mike.

"I don't care what Reaves did to help you. He ambushed us, he took Eleven!" Mike insisted.

"All I know is that he had orders to kill me, but he didn't. Maybe he is just in a bad situation." Barb replied as Mike paced.

"He helped Barb in his own way." Will stated. "Maybe he is doing the same for Eleven."

"Will's got a point Mike." Dustin added. "What Reaves did sucks OK, it sucks hard; but maybe he's not as big a moth breather as we thought he was.

"So what?" Mike roared. "Eleven is still in that horrible place with this Seibert guy who is doing God knows what to her right now as we speak. Hell, he could be killing her right now!"

"I don't think so." Barb countered. "Cameron said that Eleven was of use to them. I wasn't, she had powers and I didn't. That's why he was supposed to kill me. Whoever Dr. Reaves works for wants to use Eleven's powers. They won't kill her."

"What if she won't do what they say?" Mike argued. "You know how stubborn she is."

"She's strong." Max rephrased as she squeezed Lucas's hand. "Eleven is one of the strongest people I know. If anyone can survive this, it's her." Mike sat back down. He knew that Eleven was strong, but he was still afraid for her. She was his life, she was his breath. He didn't want to be in a world without her.

"If they hurt her in any way, I swear to God, I will fucking kill them." Mike said angrily as Lucas put his hand on the paladin's shoulder.

"Just calm down man. First things first, we have to figure out a way to get to the dimension that they took Eleven to." Lucas insisted.

"How are we going to do that?" Dustin asked. "Besides Eleven, none of us can cast shadow walk."

"Thank you captain Obvious." Lucas snapped. The truth was, neither of them had the faintest idea about how to travel through dimensions. Mike just sat there, staring into space. He wondered if Eleven was thinking of him. For the record, as she laid on her cold metal bunk, she was.

**CAN THE PARTY FIND THEIR MAGE? REVIEWS NEEDED AND APPRECIATED.**


	28. Breaking Jane

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eleven suffers at the hands of Agent Seibert but refuses to break.

_Area 51, Nevada_

_(Dr. Reaves POV)_

As Eleven laid on that cold metal bunk, she wanted Mike to hold her and tell her how wonderful he thought she was. Alas, he was not there. As she looked around and realized that Mike was gone, she began to cry.

"Mike..." she wept as she buried her face in the pillow. As she wept, Dr. Cameron Reaves came into her room. They had become better acquainted over the last few days. She no longer wanted to kill him, but she didn't trust him either.

"Hello Eleven." He said as he closed the door. "How are you feeling?" Eleven dried her tears as Dr. Reaves sat down.

"Mike." She said as she looked at the doctor. "I want Mike." Reaves sighed as he looked at the girl and her red puffy eyes.

"I know you want to see him and I am trying to work something out, but I need you to play your part. Please just try to behave with these people." He pleaded as Eleven remained quiet.

"Mike needs me." She replied.

"Well, today I need you too." Cameron said. "Agent Seibert is coming down to see you and you want him to be happy." Dr. Reaves offered Eleven his hand as she reluctantly took it and they both walked out into the main lab where Agent Tyrone Seibert and Dr. Sheldon Hofstadter were waiting for them.

"Now it's time to see what this girl can do." Dr. Hofstadter said as Reaves presented her to them.

"This is her first time so, let's be gentle." He asked as Seibert walked over to Eleven.

"Show me your powers girl." He ordered as Eleven stared him down. She shook her head. Tyrone turned angry as he struck the girl across the face. "Do it!" He ordered again. Eleven regained her composure and shook her head again. Agent Seibert grew angry as he punched her in the face.

"Do as I say, you stupid ugly thing!" Seibert roared. Eleven looked up at the man with fury.

"Not ugly." She replied as Tyrone got right in her face.

"What did you say to me, you little shit?" He asked.

"Mike says I'm pretty." Eleven insisted. Agent Seibert turned red as he picked the girl up by her hair.

"Looks like we have a wild one. We'll just have to break this bitch." He replied with a sadistic gleam in his eye.

"Agent Seibert, maybe she just needs some time to..." Dr. Reaves started to say.

"Shut your face Reaves." Seibert ordered. "We will see if this Mike thinks that she is so pretty when I am finished with her." He dragged her off as Dr. Reaves looked on in pity. He did not want to see this innocent girl be broken, but once Seibert got an idea in his head, there was not stopping him.

* * *

_(Eleven's POV)_

First, Seibert jabbed a needle into Eleven's arm. The serum inside was the chemical equivalent of a straight jacket. He did not want the girl to use her powers until he was certain that she would behave. Then, Eleven was strapped into a chair while an assistant walked over with a razor in hand. Eleven grew panicked.

"No...no..." she said as she tried to struggle, but she was too disoriented.

"We'll see if your precious Mike thinks that you are pretty when your head is shaved." Tyrone snarled as the assistant began shaving Eleven's head. All she could do was cry as her beautiful curly hair fell to the ground. When it was over, Eleven looked the same as she had when Mike and the party had found her that night on Mirkwood.

"You are like papa!" She cried out as the cruel bastard bent down to Eleven and gave her a cruel smile.

"Are you pretty now?" He asked as Eleven shot daggers at him.

"Mike says...that I am pretty." Eleven choked out. Agent Seibert held Eleven's chin up as he looked at her.

"I am going to enjoy breaking you girl." He said as he dragged her away for more torment. He then sat on a chair, pulled Eleven onto his lap, hiked up her gown and began to spank her bare ass. Eleven had never had a spanking before and it hurt like Hell.

"Ow!" She cried out as Seibert brought his hand down.

"Mike does not love you. Say it!" He ordered.

"No! Mike loves me. He said it and he meant it." Eleven shot back.

"Mike thinks you are ugly. Say it."

"You lie!" Seibert gave Eleven strike after strike until her ass looked like a plump tomato.

"No one loves you, you are nothing but an weapon for us to wield!” Tyrone snarled. "Admit it." Eleven shook her head.

"No, I am Mike's girlfriend and Chief Hopper's daughter. I am loved." She argued as Agent Seibert punched her once again.

"Take her back to her cell." He ordered as Dr. Reaves led Eleven away. Once they returned, he looked at the girl.

"Please, just do as he says." He begged as Eleven shook her head.

"He wanted me to tell lies about Mike. Friends don't lie." She insisted. Reaves sighed as he pulled something out of his lab coat.

"Take this, it'll give you strength. I took it from Mike's bedroom." He said as Eleven took it. It was one of the pictures she and Mike had taken on their date at Star Court Mall.

"Thank you." Eleven said as she smiled at Cameron.

"Keep it out of sight or they'll take it." He said as she hid it on her person. As Dr. Reaves left, he wanted to help Eleven, but he didn't know how.

**CAN AGENT SEIBERT BREAK ELEVEN OR WILL SHE HOLD OUT. REVIEWS NEEDED AND APPRECIATED.**


	29. Breaking Jane Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dr. Raves tries to prove himself to Eleven.

_Area 51, Nevada._

_(Dr. Reaves POV)_

Dr. Cameron Reaves truly did not know how much longer he could stand by and watch Jane "Eleven" Hopper be tortured. She was an innocent child with truly remarkable gifts who did not deserve what was being done to her. On the other hand, Jane was the strongest child he had ever seen. Day after day, Agent Tyrone Seibert dealt out beatings and pain. She had been spanked, electroshocked, and even waterboarded.

"Mike Wheeler does not love you." Agent Seibert told her. "You are nothing to him." Despite all of this torture, Jane did not break. She would always insist that she and Mike would be together forever.

"Mike is mine..." Jane told the sadistic MJ-12 agent. "And I am his." Dr. Reaves had no choice but to admire her. Seibert however, had no such admiration and punched her in the face several times.

"You can break easy or you can break hard girl!" He shouted as he hit Jane over and over. After the water boarding session, which lasted several hours was finished, Reaves carried Jane back to her cell and tried to comfort her as best he could. He told her about his personal life, as he had done with Barb. His mother and father had both been scientists and had always encouraged him to follow in their footsteps. It was fortunate that he turned out to have a talent for science. Cameron had been a theoretical physicist at Stanford University, which had the best physics program in the country. However, when Dr. Sheldon Hofstadter approached him with an offer to join him at Area 51, he had taken the job as Dr. Hofstadter's right hand man and as a result had been force to sever ties with his family and his previous life. Jane felt pity for Dr. Reaves as he told her how close he was with his mother. It reminded her of her own mother who had been stolen from her by the equally sadistic Dr. Martin Brenner.

"The bad men hurt mama." Jane said as she laid on the cot.

"I'm so sorry Jane." Reaves said, feeling even more sorry for the girl. "Is she...still alive?" Jane nodded.

"They shocked her. It hurt her head. Aunt Becky said that she's stuck in a dream." She said.

"They must have used too much electricity and caused brain damage. It's sad, but it's more common than you think." They were both quiet for a moment before Jane looked at Cameron.

"Why does the bad man want me to tell lies about Mike?" She asked.

"He wants to make you obedient and he thinks that without your love of Mike to hold onto, you will do as he says. Dr. Reaves replied.

"When will I see Mike? He needs me."

"I am trying to come up with a plan to get you out of here. I promise, you will see Mike soon."

"I hate soon." Jane replied. "You say soon on day 3, you say soon on day 12, you now say soon on day 18. When is soon?"

"Soon is when I can figure out a way to get you out of here with Seibert and Hofstadter knowing." Reaves explained.

"When? On day 20?"

"I don't know..."

"On day 30?"

"Jane, please..."

"On day 40!"

"I am trying!"

"I NEED TO SEE HIM!" She screamed as she pushed Cameron flat on his ass. "Friends don't lie!"

"Dang it Jane. I am trying to get you out, but you have no idea how secure this place is. You need to trust me. I want to help you." He shot back.

"Then prove it!" Jane yelled as she turned away. Dr. Reaves stood up and left the room. He was frustrated with Jane and himself. He didn't how to get her back to Hawkins without Seibert knowing about it. He needed her to be patient, but he didn't know how to gain her trust. Suddenly, he thought of an ingenious idea. He headed for the elevator and hoped that he could find a way to show Jane that he was a friend.

* * *

When Dr. Cameron Reaves exited the elevator, he knew he was in the right place.

_LEVEL 9_

_MIND CONTROL AND THEORY_

As Dr. Reaves entered, he saw one of his colleagues: Dr. Amy Wolowitz. Dr. Wolowitz had been brought to Area 51, due to her work on Neuroscience. She had actually developed a serum that had great potential, but MJ-12 hadn't thought it worthy of their time or money because they couldn't weaponize it. As a result, the project had been shelved and she had been transferred to working on way to brainwash people. The two had become friends because she shared his contempt for Majestic 12. As Amy saw Reaves, she excused herself and took him aside.

"Cameron, what are you doing here?" She asked. "You don't have clearance to be here."

"I know, but I need to talk to you about Omnirix." Dr. Reaves insisted. Dr. Wolowitz turned stone faced.

"From this point on, this conversation is hypothetical." She insisted. They had to speak in code in case anyone caught onto them.

"Agreed. Hypothetically speaking, did you ever test the drug?"

"Well, we would've tested it on Chimpanzees and the results would've been that 11 out of the 13 test subjects would've been successful. Higher brain function and capacity."

"Assuming that the Chimpanzee subjects were successful as you claim, would MJ-12 have given you the green light to test on human subjects?" Reaves inquired.

"If we had, the results would have been that 10 out of the 11 subjects were successful." Wolowitz replied.

"And the one that failed, what happened?"

"It was an Alzheimer's patient. There was no change. The brain continued its normal downward spiral."

"And in the subjects that were successful?"

"Their brains repaired themselves and their brain functions increased ten fold." Cameron sighed as he asked the big question.

"Hypothetically speaking, could you get me a dose of Omnirix?" He asked.

"Are you insane?" Amy whispered. "Just talking to you about this could get my clearance revoked. I would be a liability."

"You know I wouldn't ask this if you if I didn't really need it." Dr. Reaves insisted. "There is a woman who was tortured by electroshock therapy and her brain was scrambled. Her daughter is being tortured by Agent Seibert as we speak and I need to show her that I am going to help her. Please." Dr. Wolowitz sighed.

"All right, all she would need is one dose and it should repair the damage in her brain. I'll get you the dose, but I need time."

"How long?"

"A week?"

"That works." Reaves replied. "Amy...Thank you." She nodded.

"Just help that girl and make Seibert pay." Wolowitz said.

**IS THERE HOPE FOR TERRY IVES? CAN ELEVEN BE BROKEN? REVIEWS NEEDED AND APPRECIATED.**


	30. Breaking Jane Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eleven is Broken and Dr. Reaves makes a choice.

_Area 51, Nevada._

_(Eleven's POV)_

After three weeks in Area 51, Eleven felt completely drained. Agent Tyrone Seibert had not broken her yet, but it was not from lack of trying. He had put her through every form of physical torture that he knew and yet she still held onto Mike with all the strength she had. Her love for him was that strong. Eventually, Seibert decided to try more psychological forms of torture. He walked into her cell followed by Dr. Cameron Reaves and two other aides.

"Why keep doing this to yourself, just curse Mike Wheeler and be done with it. Curse him to his face." Tyrone said as Eleven stared him down.

"No." She replied as Agent Seibert walked over to her.

"He will leave you, girl." He insisted. "Your Mike will leave you. Why should he stay? He was so much happier before he found you. What have you to offer? You are incomplete." His words began to pierce Eleven's heart as he gaze began to break. "You know that he would rather have a real girlfriend than stay with you."

"That's not true..." she said as Seibert smirked.

"Let us now take a peak into the future." He continued. "What is this I see? It is the paladin Mike Wheeler and all his little friends. They are at university in a townhouse and the front door is shut!"

"I'll open it!" Eleven yelled as Seibert breaking down her resolve.

"I'm afraid the door has been barred."

"I'll call out his name."

"He can't hear you."

"No!"

"He can't see you."

"Mike!"

"He has forgotten all about you." Tyrone spat out.

"Stop! Please! Stop it!" Eleven begged with tears in her eyes as she received a punch to the face. As she looked up, she saw the agent lean in close. His brown eyes filled with venom and his acid tongue ready to deliver the final blow.

"And what is this I see?" He asked. "There is another in your place. She is called... _wife_." At the sound of that word, Eleven finally broke.

"I'm nothing..." she said as Dr. Reaves's heart shattered. Agent Seibert smiled wide.

"Good girl." he said as he left the cell. Once they were alone, Reaves went over to Jane. "Don't you listen to him for a second Jane." He begged. "Mike loves you, you know that."

"I don't deserve him. He needs a real girl, I'm a freak." Eleven wailed as Cameron squeezed her hand.

"Jane, you are not a freak. You are smart, you're beautiful. You have amazing gifts." The theoretical physicist assured the girl. "Mike knows this and he loves you for it. I saw the look in his eyes when you were taken from him at the junkyard. He looked like he was going to die. Please, don't give up. As long as Mike fights, you fight. He would want you to fight for him, Ok?" Eleven slowly nodded.

"I'll fight for him." She promised. Dr. Reaves nodded as he walked out of the cell.

* * *

_(Dr. Reaves POV)_

Once he had left, Dr. Cameron Reaves decided to confront Agent Tyrone Seibert about his treatment of Jane "Eleven" Hopper.

"This is wrong, you can't keep doing this to her." Dr. Reaves demanded.

"I can do anything I please." Agent Seibert replied.

"Why are you torturing this poor girl?"

"One, because she won't cooperate and two, it is quite fun." Reaves's face turned to stone as he made his decision.

"I am done." He stated. "I won't torture Jane anymore, it stops now!" Seibert looked furious as he stood up and grabbed Cameron by the throat.

"Nothing stops, nothing!" Tyrone roared. "If you will not do as your told, you will become a liability and you know how I feel about those." He moved his suit jacket to show a loaded pistol.

"I'm not afraid...of you." Dr. Reaves stuttered as he tried to breathe.

"As for miss Hopper, I will see to it that she does the hardest time there is." Agent Seibert swore. "Without your protection, I will pull her out of that one bunk Hilton and I will take her on a field trip to High Desert State Prison over in Indian Springs and cast her in with the sex offenders and the pedophiles. By the time they are finished, she'll be nothing but a flesh colored spot on the ground. You understand me? You catch my drift, or am I being obtuse?" As he let Reaves go, the scientist struggled for breath. He knew that he had to get Jane out. He had to. As Cameron looked around the office, he saw a taser on the desk. In an instant, he grabbed it and tased the Majestic 12 Agent with it.

"Ahhh, you...bastard." Seibert groaned as he fell to the floor. Dr. Reaves pulled the man's gun out of his jacket and ran to Eleven's cell. When he arrived, He found an aide trying to mess with the girl.

"No." She said as he tried to cop a feel. "Only Mike touches me like that." As he moved in, he felt a gun at the back of his head."

"Don't move." Reaves ordered as the man stood up. "Come on Jane. We're leaving." Cameron and Eleven moved through the corridors with their hostage. When they got to project VOID, everyone was stunned.

"Cameron!" Dr. Sheldon Hofstadter shouted at his colleague. "What is the meaning of this?"

"I can't stand by and watch innocent children suffer." Dr. Reaves explained. "I'm taking Jane back to Hawkins where she belongs."

"You going to throw away your career and your life." Dr. Hofstadter reminded him.

"Maybe, but it is the right thing to do. I told Jane that she would see Mike again." Reaves said as he looked at Eleven. "And friends don't lie." She smiled at him as he squeezed her hand.

"Cameron..." Hofstadter pleaded.

"Please Sheldon, help me." Cameron pleaded in return. Sheldon sighed as he knew what he had to do.

"Ready project VOID. Set the coordinates for AU0136." He ordered. Dr. Reaves let the perv go as he and Eleven got on the platform. Once the coordinates were set, Dr. Hofstadter waved good bye to his former colleague as Dr. Reaves and Eleven were instantly transported back to Hawkins.

**ELEVEN IS ON HER WAY HOME TO MIKE? IS IT OVER OR IS SEIBERT STILL DETERMINED? REVIEWS NEEDED AND APPRECIATED.**


	31. Love Of My Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike and Eleven reunite as he puts her doubts to rest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I DON'T OWN STRANGER THINGS. I ALSO DON'T OWN LOVE OF MY LIFE. THE LYRICS BELONG TO QUEEN. I ACTUALLY CRIED AS I WROTE THIS CHAPTER. THIS WOULD BE SUCH A GOOD SONG FOR MIKE AND ELEVEN.

_Hawkins, Indiana._

_(Dr. Reaves POV)_

When Dr. Cameron Reaves and Jane "Eleven" Hopper regained their senses, they found themselves in a wooded area with a small cabin in the distance. As they walked towards the cabin, Eleven recognized it as the cabin that she shared with Chief Jim Hopper.

"It's dad's cabin." She said as she pointed to it.

"Good." Dr. Reaves replied as she and him went over and knocked on the door. When Chief Hopper answered the door, he was floored to see Eleven and Reaves.

"Jane." He said as he took the girl in his arms.

"Dad." She replied. Jim teared up as he embraced his daughter. When they broke the embrace, he noticed the bruises on her face and her shaved head.

"Who did this to you?" Hopper asked as he turned to Cameron. "You hurt her, you sorry son of a bitch!"

"It wasn't me." He insisted. "It was my former employer." Hopper growled at him as he took Eleven and Dr. Reaves inside the cabin. As soon as Eleven was in bed resting, Hopper got on the phone to call Mike. The boy would go postal if he didn't know that his girlfriend was back. Reaves listened as Hopper told the boy that Eleven was back and that she was alive. They talked for a couple minutes before the chief hung up.

"How is the boyfriend?" Cameron inquired.

"His heart has been broken for the last three and a half weeks thanks to you and your buddies." Hopper shot back. "He's on his way over and I suggest that you make yourself scarce."

"If you wanted to kill me, I wouldn't hold it against you."

"Don't worry, I'll find another way to make you suffer." Dr. Reaves sighed as Jim went into check on his adopted daughter.

* * *

_(Eleven's POV)_

Eleven's body was still feeling sore from the torture that she had endured at the hands of Agent Tyrone Seibert. Her mind would often take her back to Area 51 and Agent Seibert would be hurting her once again, commanding her to renounce her love of Mike Wheeler. She had not cursed him, but she would have been lying if she said that Seibert's words had not pierced her. Eleven had fallen victim to her old doubts. Mike was wonderful and he deserved so much better than her. It was not fair for him to have to waste his entire life on a broken girl like her when he deserved someone normal like him. As she was pondering these painful and torturous thoughts, she saw the door open and in came her boyfriend: Mike Wheeler.

"Eleven!" He cried out as he ran over and embraced her.

"Mike." She said through her tears as she held him back and he kissed her cheek.

"I thought I would never see you again." He said as he caressed her cheek. He moved in to kiss her upon the lips, but she pulled away.

"No." She replied. Mike was stunned.

"What's wrong?"

"I can't...be your girlfriend anymore." She said as both young hearts shattered.

"Why not?" He cried.

"I don't deserve you. You need a girl like you. The bad men broke me."

"I don't care El. I've never cared. I want you."

"No." Eleven said as she moved away from him. "You need to be happy and you won't with me. Please go." Mike was destroyed as he got up off of the bed and began to walk away. He didn't want to lose Eleven. She was his everything. She was the love of his life. Suddenly, he remembered an old song that he had heard on the radio and he couldn't stop himself from singing. As he sang, Eleven turned her head to look at him.

_Love of my life, you've hurt me._

_You've broken my heart and now you leave me._

_Love of my life, can't you see?_

_Bring it back, bring it back._

_Don't take it away from me, because you don't know...what it means to me._

As Mike sang, Eleven wept. His was the most beautiful voice that she had ever heard. Seibert's cruel words vanished. Mike had erased all doubts that she was an angel in his eyes. This amazing beautiful boy, wanted her. Eleven stood up and found her voice.

_Love of my life, don't leave me._

_You've taken my love and now desert me._

_Love of my life, can't you see._

_Please bring it back, bring it back._

_Don't take it away from me, because you don't know...what it means to me._

The young lovers walked over and held each other as they had at the Snow Ball. Their voices in unison.

_Who will remember, when this is blown over and everything's all by the way._

_When I grow older, I will be there at your side to remind you...how I still love you. Hurry back, please bring it back home to me; because you don't know...what it means to me._

_"Love of my life."_ Mike sang.

_"Love of my life."_ Eleven sang. Their lips met with such passion.

"Please don't leave me El." Mike begged. "I can't imagine a world without you. I need the love of my life." Eleven pointed at Mike.

"Love of _my_ life." She asserted. Mike and Eleven cried tears of joy as they kissed deeply. "I will never leave you." El whispered into Mike's ear

"You promise?" Mike asked as Eleven out her hand on the young boy's heart.

"Promise." she replied. The two stood in her bedroom as they kissed each other's tears away. There was no where in the world that they would rather be; and in the living room, Reaves and Hopper, who had heard everything, were trying and failing to hide their tears.

**THE PALADIN AND THE MAGE ARE TOGETHER ONCE MORE. THE NEXT TWO CHAPTERS CONTAIN SOME SPECIAL GUESTS. REVIEWS NEEDED AND APPRECIATED.**


	32. The Return Of Terry Ives

_Hawkins, Indiana._

_(Dr. Reaves POV)_

The next day, Dr. Cameron Reaves and Eleven explained to Mike and Hopper what had happened at Area 51. Mike actually threw up as he heard all the tortures and torturous treatments that the love of his life was forced to endure. It was just as bad as anything Dr. Martin Brenner had ever done to her.

"And when Seibert told me that he was going to throw her to those animals in High Desert...I knew that I had to get her out of there." Dr. Reaves finished as everyone looked at him.

"Asshole." Mike muttered as Reaves shot him a look.

"I got her out alive." He replied.

"Yeah, after three weeks of torture. You were the one who set us up in the first place. She wouldn't have even been there in the first place if you and your stupid Majestic 12 people would have just left us alone!"

"I know that you hate me and believe me, I completely understand; but I had no idea that Tyrone was a freaking psychopath! He was the one who tortured Jane..." Cameron shot back.

"El!" Mike shouted. "Her name is El!" Eleven squeezed Mike's hand in hers. "Mike, I am here with you." She said softly as Mike eased up. Sometimes, Eleven had her own way of saying things. For example, when she told Mike that she was there with him, it was basically her way of telling her boyfriend that he needed to calm down; and he listened to her. He always listened to his El.

"El." Dr. Reaves corrected himself. "Agent Seibert did those horrible things to your girlfriend, blame him."

"I do blame him, but I also blame you." Mike said. "I blame you!"

"So do I!" Reaves yelled. "Please Mike, you have to know that I am truly sorry for what I did, but I am more than sorry. I have a way to prove that I am on your side."

"Like what?" Mike inquired as Cameron turned to Eleven with a spark in his eyes.

"El, what if I told you that you could have your mother back?" He said as Eleven's eyes grew as wide as Eggos.

* * *

_(Eleven's POV)_

About an hour and a half after everything was explained, Mike and Eleven, along with Dr. Cameron Reaves were being driven by Chief Jim Hopper out to the countryside where Terry Ives existed, along with her sister. Hopper said that Terry existed, because of the state that she was in. You couldn't call it living. After an hour's worth of driving, they arrived at the Ives residence. They all got out and went up to the door as Eleven knocked. After a minute or so, Becky Ives answered the door.

"Jane?" She exclaimed as she opened the door and wrapped her niece in a hug. "I thought you were gone for good." She then looked up and saw Chief Hopper, along with a teenage boy and a man in a lab coat. "Who are they?" She asked.

"Mike. My boyfriend." Eleven said as she held Mike's hand.

"And him?" Becky asked, pointing to Dr. Reaves.

"He can help mama." Eleven replied as Becky let them all inside the house. Once they had all sat down, Reaves explained his plan.

"It's an experimental serum called _Omnirix_." He stated. "It was created by a colleague of mine. An expert in the study of the brain."

"So what does this thing do, exactly?" Becky asked.

"I'm not entirely sure, I'm a theoretical physicist, not a neurobiologist." Cameron clarified. "I only know what Dr. Amy Wolowitz told me and she said that the antibodies in the serum act as a renovation crew. They go in, clear out all the dead brain cells and completely repair the damage. It's like Extreme Makeover: Brain Edition."

"Has it been tested?"

"Yes, On chimpanzees and on humans with Alzheimer's and dementia and CTE. There was a 90% success rate on human subjects."

"And the other 10%?" Becky inquired. "What if it doesn't work? What happens to Terry?"

"She stays the same as she is." Dr. Reaves explained. "She'll be no different."

"Why are you doing this? Why do you care about Terry?"

"Because I am on your side. I've renounced any loyalties I have to the US government and I want to repair the damage they have caused."

"Please, it can help mama." Eleven pleaded as Mike squeezed her hand.

"All right, let's do it." Becky relented. Cameron went into the living room where Terry was in her chair, repeating the same words over and over and over again.

"Breathe...sunflower...three to the right, four to the left...rainbow...450." Terry muttered. Eleven held her mother's hands as Dr. Reaves pulled out the syringe containing the _Omnirix_.

"All right, now I need to find the nearest blood vessel to her brain stem." Reaves explained. "It works faster. Once I inject it, the antibodies will go up through the bloodstream to her central cortex, find the damage to her brain and repair it. Once they reach her brain, it should take about a minute and a half, give or take." Cameron used some rubbing alcohol to clear a spot on Terry's neck and jammed the syringe in.

"Rainbow..." Terry stuttered as she began shaking.

"Mama!" Eleven cried out as she held her down.

"Now we wait, the seizure is normal." Dr. Reaves assured. Terry shook for about half a minute until she finally stopped and began looking around.

"Where...where am I?" She asked incoherently as Reaves came up close to her.

"How many fingers am I holding up?" He asked as Terry looked at him.

"Three..." She replied as he lowered his fingers.

"Could you please say your full name?"

"Theresa Mary Ives." Cameron smiled at everyone.

"It's a success. Her brain is good as new." He said as Becky teared up and hugged her sister.

"Terry, you're back." She cried.

"Becky...what's going on?" She asked as she looked over to see a young girl holding her arms.

"Mama..." Eleven said, crying tears of joy. At first, Terry was confused, but then she realized who that girl was. The girl that a Brenner has taken from her, the girl that she had fought for.

"Jane..." she whispered as Eleven nodded. Terry fell out of the chair as she reached for her daughter.

"Take it easy, you've been off your knees for a while." Dr. Reaves advised. "I would recommend some physical therapy to help her with her motor functions. The serum only fixes the brain, not the body." Terry crawled over and pressed her daughter close to her chest.

"Oh Jane. My baby, my baby, my beautiful baby girl." Terry wailed through her tears. "You're alive. I knew you were alive." Terry cupped Eleven's cheeks in her hands as she covered her in kisses. "They said you were dead, but I knew better. I knew that bastard Brenner stole you from me." Eleven was too overwhelmed to say much of anything. Her mother had been returned to her. Meanwhile, Mike looked to Reaves and mouthed the words _thank you._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ELEVEN'S MOTHER HAS BEEN RETURNED TO HER, BUT THERE'S ANOTHER REUNION ON THE WAY. REVIEWS NEEDED AND APPRECIATED.


	33. Eight Joins The FIght

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Party gains an ally in their fight against Majestic 12.

_Hawkins, Indiana._

_(Mike's POV)_

The group spent the weekend with Terry and Becky. Terry and Eleven were practically inseparable. They talked about everything that had happened. Eleven told her about her friends in Hawkins and how she had found Kali. The only time that she was away from her mother was when she was with Mike Wheeler. He had never seen her so happy, except when she was alone with him. The day after Terry returned, Eleven introduced her boyfriend to her mother.

"Mama...This is Mike." She said as Mike shook Terry's hand.

"It's nice to meet you Mrs. Ives." He replied. "Eleven talks about you all the time."

"You too, I can see the way she looks at you. She really loves you." Terry insisted as Eleven smiled. Mike's heart melted as he was overjoyed that Eleven was surrounded by so much love after enduring so much hate in her short life. Sadly, the weekend flew by rather quickly. When it was time to say goodbye, Terry embraced her daughter tightly.

"I'll see you soon mama." Eleven promised as Terry kissed her.

"I know baby, now that I am feeling better, maybe your aunt Becky and I can move closer to Hawkins so that you can see us more often." She offered.

"I would like that." Eleven said with a smile. After more goodbyes were said, Eleven, Mike, Dr. Cameron Reaves, and Chief Jim Hopper got in the truck and went back towards Hawkins.

"I'm glad that your mom is back to her old self." Mike said as he held Eleven's hand. Eleven blushed at him.

"So am I." She replied."Everything is OK now." Dr. Reaves sighed as he looked at the young lovers.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves." He insisted. "I'm happy for you that you can have your mom back, but you are all forgetting about Agent Seibert and Majestic 12." Eleven grew cold at the mention of the name.

"But they're back in the other dimension, you and El escaped." Mike argued.

"But we didn't destroy project VOID." Reaves shot back. "Which means that they still have a way to come back to Hawkins to retrieve their "investment."

"We won't let them." Mike swore as he wrapped his arms around Eleven as if he was afraid that she would disappear at any moment.

"You don't know what you're up against Mike." Cameron argued. "Majestic 12 is beyond lethal. They will kill anyone who gets in their way, adults, kids, even babies. They have access to grade A military technology and they deploy it ruthlessly."

"I don't give a shit!" Mike shot back as tears leaked out. "I won't lose El again...I can't...I can't."

"Mike." Eleven said as she cupped his cheeks in her hands. "You won't lose me." Mike wept as she held him close and kissed his tears away.

"Mike, the egghead is not trying to hurt you." Hopper said. "However, the fact of the matter is, no matter how much you and your friends care about Jane, if you don't know how to fight, you don't know how to fight; and your little party does not know how to fight."

"The Chief is right, if we hope to fight Agent Seibert, we'll need fighters." Dr. Reaves insisted. Suddenly, Eleven looked up.

"Sister." She said as everyone turned to her.

"You mean Kali?" Mike asked.

"You have a sister?" Hopper also asked as Eleven nodded.

"She has friends." She insisted. "They are fighters. They kill the bad men."

"Your sister, is she like you?" Reaves inquired. "Does she have powers?"

"She makes you see things." Eleven nodded. "She gets in your head."

"She could be a good ally to have on our side. Can you find her?"

* * *

_Chicago, Illinois._

_(Eleven's POV)_

Once the group had returned to Hawkins, Eleven went into the void and found that Kali and her group of misfits were still in the Windy City. Chief Hopper didn't want to drive all the way to Chicago, but Dr. Cameron Reaves asserted that time was of an essence, so they went. A couple hours later, the group was in Chicago. Eleven led them to an decrepit looking high rise that looked abandoned.

"You sure this is the place kid?" Hopper asked as he stopped the car. Eleven nodded.

"This place gives me the creeps, let's just find your sister and get back to Hawkins." Dr. Reaves said. Eleven led the group through the abandoned building until they came across a group of what appeared to be punk rockers. A guy with a huge Mohawk was the first to notice them and he was floored.

"Holy shit, if it ain't Shirley Temple." He said as he and the others walked over to Eleven.

"Didn't think we'd see you again after you ditched us." A black girl with an Afro commented.

"Friends needed me." Eleven replied. "I want to see Kali."

"Kali!" The girl shouted as an Indian girl dressed in full punk walked into the room. Her eyes grew as wide as Eggos when she saw Eleven.

"Jane!" Kali said as she embraced Eleven in a hug. When they separated, she looked at the friends her sister had brought. "Who are they?"

"Mike." Eleven said as she wrapped her arm around his waist. "My boyfriend, my Dad, and...friend."

"Kali, we need your help." Reaves stated. "The bad men are coming and they are coming with everything they have." The group turned to look at Kali.

"Do they know where we are?" She asked.

"It's only a matter of time before they find you and Jane." He insisted. "And when they find you, they will dissect you both. They are on their way to Hawkins right now and they are armed."

"How many?"

"I'm not sure, could be hundreds." Everyone looked nervous as Kali kept her cool.

"Kali, we ain't ready to go up against all these guys." The mohawk guy said.

"We can't give into fear, Axel." Kali replied.

"Ain't no one gonna hurt you or miss Jane." A huge black man said. "I say we go."

"That's the spirit Fun." Kali replied as she turned to Cameron and the group. "We will come." Dr. Reaves was relieved, but Mike and Eleven were unsure if Kali could be trusted. Sister or no sister.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IS THIS GROUP OF RAGTAGS ENOUGH TO HOLD OUT AGAINST MAJESTIC 12? NEXT CHAPTER WILL CONTAIN SOME SERIOUS JOPPER FLUFF. REVIEWS NEEDED AND APPRECIATED.


	34. Jim Hopper Asks A Question

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joyce & Hopper spend the night together, with romantic results.

_Hawkins, Indiana_

_(Joyce's POV)_

Joyce Byers looked on with relief as Chief Hopper's truck pulled into her driveway. She was shocked when she saw a van that was riddled with bullets pull up next to the truck. As the kids and Dr. Cameron Reaves stayed outside to talk about the situation that they found themselves in, Chief Jim Hopper walked into the Byers house and was greeted with a huge hug from Joyce. Once they had made a pot of strong coffee and lit a couple cigarettes, Hopper filled Joyce in on the events of the previous weekend.

"So Dr. Reaves found a cure for Eleven's mother?" Joyce asked in disbelief.

"Yep." Hopper nodded as he took a swig of coffee. "One of his egghead friends developed a serum that can fix brain damage, you know, cure Alzheimer's and shit like that."

"And the government is just...sitting on it?" Joyce stuttered in shock. "So many lives could be helped and they keep it for themselves."

"These Majestic 12 sons of bitches are only interested in weapons." Hopper explained. "Reaves says that all they care about is power and control."

"So that's why they keep everyone so secret. The more people know..."

"The less control they have. It's easier to keep the citizenry in line when they're dumber than mud. When people start using their heads, it gets harder to pull the wool over their eyes."

"Those bastards!" Joyce swore as she took a long drag of her cigarette. "Does Cameron really think that Majestic 12 is coming to Hawkins?"

"He's betting his chance at a noble prize on them showing their faces in town." Hopper said. "He said that nothing pisses off this Tyrone Seibert more than hearing the word no."

"How are we going to fight off these government troops?" Joyce inquired. "You're the only one here with any real combat experience Hop."

"Yeah, didn't think that my time in Vietnam was gonna train me to fight off the government." Hopper sighed as Joyce held his hand.

"We can't let them take Eleven back Hop. We can't." Joyce said nervously.

"We won't." Hopper assured her as he kissed her hand. Joyce and Jim looked at each other for a few moments before Joyce crawled into the table like a cat and kissed Hopper with great passion. They made out for a while before the chief picked Joyce up in his strong arms and carried her bridal style to her bedroom. For the next few hours Joyce Byers and Jim Hopper made wonderful love to each other. Back in high school, Lonnie Byers had bragged to everyone within ear shot that Joyce was amazing in the sack; and as much he hated to admit it, the son of a bitch was right. Hopper had screwed many women and he had enjoyed himself with most of them, but Joyce...she aroused him in a way that he didn't even know he could be aroused in. When the two single parents were finally finished with their private display of passion, they were both panting on the bed, trying to catch their breath.

"That was...mind blowing." Hopper said as Joyce held his hand.

"Yeah, my mind...is blown." She agreed as they laughed. Once they had calmed down, Joyce had herself another cigarette while Hopper looked up at the ceiling. There were things that he had wanted to say to Joyce for a while now and in case the fighting with MJ-12 didn't end well for them. He wanted her to know what was on his mind and his heart.

"Hey Joyce." Hopper said.

"Yeah Hop?" She replied.

"I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry." He said as he looked into her beautiful eyes. "I wanted you so badly in high school, but I knew that if I went out with you, I'd have to satisfied with one girl and I wasn't ready to give up my playboy lifestyle. I should have just manned up and committed to you, but I didn't and by the time I realized that you were the only girl I wanted, Lonnie swooped in and shit on your life. We could have been so happy together if I had got to you before Lonnie did and I'm sorry." Joyce smiled as she kissed Hopper's hand.

"I'm not." She stated. "We're together now and whatever shit Lonnie put me through, he gave Jonathan and Will to me and I could never be sorry for them."

"I know, it's just...I love you Joyce." Hopper said as Joyce kissed him deeply.

"I love you too." She replied. "I'm so glad that you're in my life." Hopper smiled as he stood and walked over to Joyce's side of the bed. Before Joyce could ask what he was doing, he got down on one knee. Her eyes grew as big as dinner plates.

"Hop..."

"Joyce, I love you, I've always loved you, you're my only friend and you're the only woman that I've done right by." He stated as he clasped her hands. "Joyce Laura Byers, if we make it out of this alive...will you marry me?" Joyce's eyes were like waterfalls.

"Yes Hop. Yes, yes, yes. I'll marry you." She said as they kissed even deeper. Except for when her sons were born, this was the most happiest moment of Joyce's life. She finally had a man who appreciated her and who cared for her sons. Jim and Joyce were perfect for each other. True, it had taken Hopper a long ass time to realize it, but he did realize it. That was a miracle, a miracle that too many people didn't get.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NEXT TIME IS THE COUNTDOWN TO... THE SIEGE AT CASTLE BYERS. REVIEWS NEEDED AND APPRECIATED.


	35. A Last Glimpse Of Sunshine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone prepares for the epic battle to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I DO NOT OWN STRANGER THINGS. I ALSO DO NOT OWN THE LYRICS TO YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE. THIS IS SUCH A PERFECT MILEVEN SONG. AS SOON AS I PICTURED MIKE SINGING IT TO ELEVEN, I WAS CRYING LIKE A BABY

_Hawkins, Indiana_

_(Dr. Reaves's POV)_

While Joyce and Hopper were getting engaged, everyone else was preparing for Agent Tyrone Seibert's arrival. The party, along with Kali and her crew had made Castle Byers their base of operations. Jonathan and Nancy had brought material to fortify the fort and even Steve Harrington had pitched in. Axel and Funshine were practicing their marksmanship as Dottie and Mick moved the van next to the fort to add cover for the impending battle. Dr. Cameron Reaves explained that for some reason, when they went through project VOID, it always dropped them in the woods near the Byers home, therefore, it was logical that Agent Seibert and his army would pass Castle Byers on the way to Hawkins.

"We have to make our stand at Castle Byers." Dr. Reaves said. "If we don't, they will march straight through to Hawkins and they will slaughter everyone."

"Why would they torch the entire town?" Steve asked. "I thought they just wanted Jane..."

"El." Mike corrected as Eleven squeezed his hand.

"Trust me, Tyrone wants her, but he's not gonna leave a town full of witnesses to chance. Not even if they are in another dimension. When you are a Majestic 12 member, the first thing you learn is that when you make a mess, you clean it up. Every last spot."

"Come on, we don't enough manpower or firepower to take on a whole fucking army!" Axel exclaimed. "I say we haul ass out of this pukehole and live to fight another day!"

"Don't you get it Axel?" Kali asked. "There will not be another day if Seibert has his way. Not for us, not for anyone close to us. We need to kill that bastard here and now."

"Kali is right." Reaves insisted. "So here's the plan: We keep holed up like this at Castle Byers. When Agent Seibert and his troops come here, we fight, we'll have El and Kali using their powers and Chief Hopper is a Veteran of 'Nam so his army experience will be invaluable to us. The most important thing is that we need to kill Seibert. We need to cut off the head of the snake. If he escapes, he'll just come back with more men and better weapons. He doesn't completely know what he's up against and we can't give him a chance to bring backup." Everyone agreed as they spent the rest of the evening stockpiling weapons and reinforcing Castle Byers and Kali's van. It was going to be a long and difficult battle and they were going to be ready for whatever came at them.

* * *

_(Eleven's POV)_

A few hours later, after everything had been set up, the Hawkins Defense Force called it a night. Kali and her group of outcasts slept in the van, the teenagers slept in Will's house, and the party slept inside Castle Byers. As everyone drifted off to sleep, Mike Wheeler was laying down on the only bed, cradling his one true love in his arms. He and Eleven were facing each other, their noses so close that they could touch. Mike ran his hand through her hair, which was growing back quite nicely. As Mike looked into his girlfriend's deep brown eyes, he felt as if he could just fall right into them; swimming through the chocolate pools. As the two young lovers kissed, they were each terrified about what would happen when Agent Tyrone Seibert found them, but Mike was sporting to stay strong for his El, and she was trying to stay strong for her Mike.

"Mike." Eleven said as he kissed her cheek.

"Yeah?" He replied.

"Are you scared?" She asked.

"No." Mike said as he tried to lie.

"Mike, Friends don't lie." Eleven reminded her boyfriend as he sighed.

"I know...yeah I am scared. I...I can't lose you again El." He admitted. Eleven caressed Mike's cheek with her delicate hand.

"You won't lose me Mike." She swore. "You. Will. Not. Lose. Me."

"You promise?" Mike said as he sniffled a little.

"Promise." El replied as she kissed him deeply. They proceeded to make our with innocence and passion all at the same time.

"I love you so much it hurts El." Mike said as he buried his face in her chest. Eleven planted kisses on his forehead. Then she asked Mike for something she wanted desperately. Even more than Eggos.

"Mike?"

"Yeah El?"

"Could you...could you sing to me?" She asked with her innocent eyes. Mike nodded as he thought of something to sing. Suddenly, he thought of an old song that his mom used to sing to him that described his feelings about Eleven perfectly.

_You are my sunshine, my only sunshine._

_You make me happy, when skies are gray._

_You'll never know El, how much I love you._

_Please don't take my sunshine away._

As he sang, Eleven cried harder than she ever had before, even when her papa locked her in the bad room back at the lab. She had never been anyone's "sunshine" before and she was happy to take away Mike's pain.

_The other night El, as I lay sleeping._

_I dreamed I held you in my arms._

_But when I awoke El, I was mistaken_

_So I hung my head and I cried._

Those 353 days apart had all but destroyed them and everyone knew it. Hopper had apologized profusely, but it was something they never forgot, it was something they never wanted to experience again. As Mike wept, Eleven kissed his tears away and sang to him in her sweet voice.

_You are my sunshine, my only sunshine._

_You make me happy, when skies are gray._

_You'll never know Mike, how much I love you._

_Please don't take my sunshine away._

As they both kissed each other's tears away, Mike found it hard to comprehend that this amazingly gifted and beautiful girl wanted him. HIM. They both fell asleep with tears in their eyes and love in their hearts.


	36. The Siege At Castle Byers Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The battle for El & Hawkins begins.

_Hawkins, Indiana_

_(Mike's POV)_

The next morning, Mike and Eleven slept later than everyone else. Agent Tyrone Seibert and his army had not arrived yet, so the others didn't think it was necessary to wake them; Besides, they wanted Eleven to have plenty of rest. She was their best fighter by far. Finally, around ten, Will woke up the young lovers who were still wrapped in each other's arms.

"Mike...El...wake up." Will said as Mike and Eleven both opened their eyes.

"What's going on?" Mike asked. "Is Agent Seibert here?"

"Not yet, we just didn't want you to sleep through the whole day." Will replied. Mike moved to get up, but Eleven pulled him back down.

"Snuggling...five more minutes." She insisted.

"What she says goes Will." Mike relented as he laid back down beside her. Will smirked as everyone got ready for the day ahead. Everyone had gotten permission from their parents to spend the weekend at the Byers house so they didn't have to worry about their parents breaking down the door and demanding their children back. Once Mike and Eleven had gotten up for the day, everyone began discussing strategies and ways to fight off whatever MJ-12 would throw at them. When Mike's clock read twelve noon, Mick, who had been acting as the lookout, ran back to Castle Byers; completely out of breath.

"There're soldiers!" She gasped. "There's a lot of them and they're coming this way!" Everyone ran for their positions as Mike and Eleven looked out of the flap and saw a large group of camouflaged men wielding assault rifles. Leading the small army was an African-American man in a black suit. Eleven immediately recognized the man who had caused her pain.

"Seibert!" she exclaimed as she held a death grip on Mike's arm. Mike held her tightly as Seibert smirked at the sight of the lovers. As the troops took up their positions around Castle Byers, Tyrone walked up to the fort, waving a white handkerchief. Mike and Eleven held each other's hands tightly as they walked up to meet him.

"Let me guess, this is the famous Mike Wheeler that my project keeps pissing on about." Agent Seibert remarked.

"She is not your project. She is a human being." Mike argued.

"Give it up boy, she doesn't belong to you. She belongs to me." Seibert asserted.

"She belongs to herself!" Mike exclaimed.

"Yeah!" Dustin shouted.

"Eat shit!" Lucas cried out.

"Eleven is coming with me..." Tyrone started to say until he was interrupted.

"No." El said. "My name is not Eleven. That is the name that papa forced on me."

"Very well, Jane..."

"My name is not Jane. That's the name that papa stole from me."

"Who the Hell are you then." Agent Seibert inquired as Eleven shot daggers at him while squeezing Mike's hand.

"My name is El, because that is the name that Mike gave to me." She stated. Mike fought to keep his tears back as his girlfriend took the silly nickname that he had given her and wore it as a medal of honor.

"You are my property girl." Seibert said as El shook her head.

"No." she replied as Tyrone turned to Mike.

"Look Wheeler, I assume that you are not as stupid as your girlfriend." He said. "I have seventy-five men here with me, armed with assault rifles and thousands of rounds of ammunition. If I order it, they can tear your little pile of sticks down and slaughter each and everyone of you snot nosed brats and then, to make a point, we will burn Hawkins to the ground. It will be nothing more than a parking lot of ash. Instead, I offer you a choice: Surrender the girl to my custody and my men and I will leave Hawkins and never return. You have my word."

"There is no word that you can give me that I can trust." Mike replied. "Why should I believe you?"

"If I don't get that girl, you and your friends and your family and your fellow townspeople are dead. You can believe that." Agent Seibert replied with venom. Mike was silent for a moment and then gave his El a deep kiss. El looked at him with fear in her eyes. She wasn't afraid of him giving her up, but she as afraid that he might offer himself up in her place. Mike turned to Seibert with determination.

"If I give El to you, then everything that I am...is dead already." He replied. Tyrone looked at Mike and El with fury and hatred.

"If a war is what you want...so be it." he stated as he walked back to his men. Mike and El did the same.

"He's not giving up, is he?" Max asked. El shook her head.

"He won't leave us alone." She said as she buried her face in Mike's shoulder.

"Then we will fight him." Kali replied. "If this man wants a fight, we will give him a fight that he will never forget." Kali's crew cheered as everyone was bolstered by her confidence. Suddenly, gunshots ran out as Mick ducked down after taking a look at the soldiers.

"Shit, we're taking fire!" Mick yelled as Axel pulled out his pistol.

"We're also giving some." He replied as he began firing at Agent Seibert and his men. Axel killed one soldier before he too was forced to take cover behind the bullet ridden van. Everyone ducked down as things became terrifyingly real. This was actually happening, No one was coming to save them, they were on their own. The siege at Castle Byers had begun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE PARTY IS IN A BATTLE NOT JUST FOR THEIR LIVES, BUT FOR THE VERY FUTURE OF HAWKINS ITSELF. CAN THEY WITHSTAND AGENT SEIBERT'S FURY OR WILL MAJESTIC 12 CLEAN HOUSE. REVIEWS NEEDED AND APPRECIATED.


	37. The Siege At Castle Byers Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Both sides suffer casualties as the siege continues.

_Hawkins, Indiana. Day one of the siege._

_(Hopper's POV)_

The next day, Chief Jim Hopper was laying in bed next to his beautiful wife to be: Joyce Byers. Last night had been glorious and Hopper had a hard time believing that it had happened. If Joyce was admiring him with those big brown eyes of hers, he would not believe it. Joyce Laura Byers, previously Joyce Laura Schnapp: the hottest girl at Hawkins High School, the one that got away, had agreed to be his wife. _His_ wife. Hopper was about to speak more words of love to his angel when he heard gunfire erupting from the woods. He and Joyce looked at each other in fear.

"The kids!" Joyce exclaimed as Hopper grabbed his pants.

"We gotta get out there!" Hopper yelled as he and Joyce rapidly dressed themselves. Chief Hopper grabbed the assault rifle that he had used to fight of the herd of Demodogs and they headed out to Castle Byers in the woods by the Byers home. As they arrived on the scene, they witnessed a great and terrible skirmish going on between the heroic and bitchin' Mileven Alliance and the cruel forces of Majestic 12. The chief pulled his fiancée down to the ground as bullets wizzes by and all around them.

"We have to get to them!" Joyce yelled.

"No you don't!" Hopper shouted over the gunfire. "I have the gun, you just stay here!" He moved closer and began firing. Jim Hopper was still a pretty good shot and managed to take down several soldiers. Axel and Funshine had managed to scour a couple rifles and some ammo from the dead soldiers and they provided cover while the chief moved into Castle Byers.

"Dad!" Eleven exclaimed as she embraced her father. Hopper planted a kiss on her forehead as he reloaded his rifle.

"What does it look like out there?" Will asked. He had been laying low while the other had been fighting with whatever weapons they had.

"I counted about 57, 58." Hopper said as he made note of all the bodies he had seen. Kali and her crew were ecstatic.

"We've knocked off at least twenty of those bastards!" Axel shouted. "We can win this!"

"It's not over yet." Dr. Cameron Reaves argued. "Agent Seibert is still out there and he is dangerous." "We are gonna kick his ass!" Dustin vowed. "That son of a bitch is gonna be sorry that he ever screwed with us."

"That's right." Lucas agreed as Max swung her skateboard.

"I'm gonna zoom all over that asshole" She replied. Lucas couldn't help but blush whenever his girlfriend was being a complete and total badass. The gunfire continued for hours until it was evening in Hawkins.

"Come on Wheeler!" Agent Tyrone Seibert shouted. "Just give me the girl and you and your friends can go home and wear your bell bottoms and play _Donkey_ _Kong_ or whatever the Hell it is that you '80's kids do!"

"Never!" Mike shouted back. "You won't take El from me again!" As he turned away, his voice cracked. "I can't lose her again..." Suddenly, he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Mike." Eleven said as she caressed his cheek. "You won't lose me."

"You promise?" He asked as she leaned in and kissed him tenderly on the lips.

"Promise." She replied as they held each other tightly. Hopper watched as his daughter comforted her boyfriend. Suddenly, everyone heard screaming. They looked to the top of the van where they saw Dottie flipping off the soldiers.

"Go to Hell, you pigs!" She shouted. Kali and her crew watched in horror as a soldier fired three rounds at Dottie. She was knocked off the bus and landed on the ground with a sickening thud.

"Dottie!" Kali cried out as everyone gathered around her body. Her clothing was covered in blood.

"Someone call a doctor!" Dustin cried out.

"Ain't no need." Funshine replied as he felt for a pulse and found none. Later, Chief Hopper would learn that two of the three gunshots wounds were fatal and Dottie had been dead before she hit the ground.

"YOU PIG FUCKERS!" Axel screamed in fury as he fired at the soldiers. Kali grew enraged as she used her powers to cause the soldiers to hallucinate flames all around them.

"What the Hell!" Seibert shouted as the soldiers ran and patted themselves down, trying to get the flames off. Eleven even used her powers to snap some necks. By the time their fury had subsided, several more soldiers lay dead and Tyrone's patience was dwindling.

"Just give up Seibert!" Dr. Reaves pleaded. "Leave these kids alone!"

"Never!" Agent Seibert shouted. "I will wear that bitch down. Nobody sleeps!" As his remaining men prepared for a long night, Kali and her crew mourned the death of their dear friend. Meanwhile, those in the party also tried to get some much needed sleep. Dustin and Will slept by themselves as Max, in a rare form of vulnerability, snuggled up close to Lucas.

"i didn't think..." Lucas started to say.

"Shut up and cuddle with me Stalker." She replied as Lucas obeyed his girlfriend. Mike and Eleven also held each other tightly.

"He won't take me." she told her boyfriend. "I won't leave until you want me to."

"I will never want you to leave." Mike assuered his true love as they shared a passinate kiss. Everyone in Castle Byers was stunned, shocked and saddened by Dottie's death. She was the Mileven's alliance's first casualty, sadly she would not be the last. There was one more tragic death to come

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WE ARE ON THE LAST THREE CHAPTERS. I HAVE NEVER PUT OUT A STORY SO QUICKLY BEFORE. I AM TRULY COMITTED TO THE STRANGER THINGS FANDOM AND THESE AMAZING CHARACTERS. REVIEWS NEEDED AND APPRECIATED.


	38. The Siege At Castle Byers Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sacrifice is made as the siege comes to a close.

_Hawkins. Indiana. Day 2 of the siege._

_(Mike's POV)_

As the dawn arose on the second day of the siege at Castle Byers, everyone on both sides were tired as Hell. As Agent Tyrone Seibert assessed the situation, he saw that a great many of his men had deserted him in the night. Agent Seibert had arrived in Hawkins with a militia of 75 men, but after the casualties and now the desertions, he was down to 29 soldiers. On the other side, the party was tired from keeping watch during the night. Kali and her crew were still mourning the death of their dear friend. Mick and Funshine had snuck away during the night and buried Dottie in the woods. The ammo was running low on both sides, but neither group wanted to back down. Suddenly, the soldiers began firing once again. The gunfire went back and forth for about a half an hour until it stopped just as suddenly as it had begun. When the smoke had cleared, Seibert crossed the threshold and he had look of fury in his eyes.

"Come our here girl!" He shouted. "I have something to say to you!" El came out of Castle Byers with Mike Wheeler holding her in his arms. With them came Dr. Cameron Reaves. When Tyrone saw Dr. Reaves, he spat in his direction.

"What?" Reaves asked with an exhausted expression on his face.

"This has gone far enough Cameron." Agent Seibert replied.

"El is home now, she is where she belongs, just leave her alone!"

"I can not do that!" Seibert exclaimed. "She has seen too much, they all have; you know something, if that fool Sheldon Hofstadter had any brains at all, he would have hurled you and the girl straight into oblivion. However, here you are...and I think you can guess where he is." Dr. Reaves was stunned. Dr. Sheldon Hofstadter was dead. Reaves had a look of guilt on his face. Even though Dr. Hofstadter had almost always put his career ahead of human rights, he had helped Cameron and El escape, and he had been a good mentor to Dr. Reaves.

"You killed him." Reaves replied.

"He became a liability and you know how I feel about those." Tyrone stated as he turned to El.

"I have made up my mind to kill you and your little friends. I have lost interest in taking you alive, you are too much trouble. Instead, I am going to make an example of you." He said as El shot him a look. She squeezed Mike's hand as Agent Seibert turned red.

"No." She replied.

"Bitch!" He snarled. "I have counted the cost and I am determined to break you once and for all. I am gonna take every drop of blood you got! What do you have to say to that? Speak!" Mike stared Seibert down as he stood in front of him.

"You can beat me and hurt me and you can even kill me...but you will not touch her!" He shouted. Seibert gave the boy a wicked grin as he reached for his pistol.

"NO!" Cameron shouted as he stepped in front of Mike. Three shots ripped through Dr. Reaves as he collapsed on the ground.

"CAMERON!" El screamed as she and Mike ran over to the fallen theoretical physicist. His white lab coat was turning red from the blood.

"Dr. Reaves!" Mike shouted as Max and Lucas raised his head up. He looked at Mike and El and gave them a sad smile.

"Is...is the party OK?" Reaves asked as Mike tearfully nodded. "Good...that's...what matters..." Dr. Cameron Reaves then breathed his last.

"Cameron?" Dustin asked through his tears. The entire party wept for him. Except for El, she was filled with fury. She turned on Tyrone and used her powers to break his arms and his legs.

"Ahhh!" He groaned in pain she raised him up.

"GO!" She roared as she threw him far from Castle Byers. Seibert crashed into a tree and landed in a ditch. At the sight of their leader being killed, for who could survive something like that, the remaining soldiers ran away from them party. Once the siege was over, everyone gathered and mourned a good man.


	39. The Funeral Of Cameron Reaves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The party says goodbye to a brave ally.

_Hawkins, Indiana._

_(Eleven's POV)_

To say that everyone was physically and emotionally drained after the two day siege at Castle Byers would have been an understatement. The death of Dottie had been tragic enough, but the sacrifice of Dr. Cameron Reaves was nothing short of heartbreaking. Nancy had gone to The Holland's home to break the news to Barb and she had completely broken down. Barb, along with Mike and El were the most affected by Dr. Reaves's death...

To Barb, he had been a friend who had shown her kindness and had rescued her from the Upside Down. Reaves had saved her family from falling apart. Nancy had seen the light in Mr. and Mrs. Holland's eyes dim every day that they had gone without their daughter. When they had gotten her back, they looked and sounded younger.

To El, he had first been her kidnapper. Cameron had lured her into a trap and had hurt Mike. Her Mike. He had also kept her spirits up through her torture at the hands of Agent Tyrone Seibert. Dr. Reaves had saved her and convinced Dr. Hofstadter to do the same. He had seen her not as a weirdo or a monster, but a girl with an amazing gift.

To Mike, Dr. Reaves had saved his life, both figuratively and literally. He had saved Mike's life the first time when he had brought his El back to him. El was his life, hie breath, his blood. He refused to live in a world without her. The second time that Reaves had saved his life was when he took three bullets that Agent Seibert had meant for him. Cameron had died so that Mike could live and not only could Mike live, he could live with his beautiful, kind, sweet, and gentle El. He owed everything to the theoretical physicist who had done the right thing and had paid the ultimate price for his goodness. A few days after the Siege at Castle Byers, the party decided to have a funeral for their fallen comrade. Kali and her crew had left, they were still devastated over Dottie's death and El had no idea when or if she would ever see her sister again. Chief Hopper had dug a grave in the woods and had even built a wooden coffin for Dr. Reaves. Hopper, Jonathan, and Steve had buried him and Dustin had place a beaker in the grave as a headstone. Mike had written an epitaph on a note and stuck it inside the beaker.

_DR. CAMERON REAVES_

_SCIENTIST, HERO, FRIEND_

After Reaves was buried, the entire party gathered around his grave to pay their respects. Everyone managed to say a few words on Reaves's behalf. When it came to Mike though, he found that he was all choked up.

"When I first met Cameron, I didn't trust him." Mike said. "He was a scientist snooping around Hawkins and I was so afraid that he would take the love of my life away from me... and he did. Dr. Reaves also made sure that El knew the truth: that I loved her and that it did not matter whether we were apart for 353 days or 353 months, I would never forget her and I would wait for her for the rest of my life if I had to. Reaves gave me my El back. That is a debt that I will never be able to repay. Thank you Cameron." As Mike stopped speaking, he cried on El's shoulder as everyone mourned the loss of their friend.

* * *

_(Billy's POV)_

As the party was holding a funeral for Dr. Cameron Reaves, Billy Hargrove was driving through Hawkins at dangerously high speeds in his car. As he sped along, he suddenly saw a disheveled African-American man lying face down in the road. He quickly came to a stop and got out to look. As he got closer, he saw the man was still alive. He was groaning in pain.

"Well well, what do we have here?" Billy asked as the man looked up at him.

"Give me a hand...punk." Agent Seibert replied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SEIBERT IS STILL ALIVE? THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE THE LAST. REVIEWS NEEDED AND APPRECIATED.


	40. Mileven Confirmed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike enjoys being alone with El and asks her a question

_Hawkins, Indiana_

_(Eleven's POV)_

It was a bright and as Mike opened the door, he saw El on his doorstep and she looked as beautiful as ever.

"El!" Mike exclaimed as he pulled her in for a hug.

"I could not wait to see you." El replied as she kissed her boyfriend. It had been a month since the Siege at Castle Byers and summer was right around the corner. In a rare show of faith, Chief Jim Hopper had allowed allowed his daughter to spend the entire night at casa Del Wheeler. After The funeral of Dr. Cameron Reaves, Mike and Hopper had a serious heart to heart conversation. The chief had come to accept that Mike and El were a packaged deal and he was going to have to accept that his daughter was going to be intimate with Mike with Hopper's consent or without it. Mike, on the other hand had come to accept that Jim Hopper was El's father and he was always going to be a little uncomfortable with El being intimate with anyone, not just Mike. However, he knew that Mike Wheeler was good kid and that Mike would slit his own wrists before he ever did anything to purposely hurt El; and they had been hurting El. She did not want to admit it, but Mike and Hopper had been making her feel like she was in the middle of a tug of war. El would always be in the middle, but now instead of Mike and Hopper pulling her apart, she could pull them together. Because they both loved her dearly in their own way.

"I made Eggos." Mike said as he led El into the kitchen. "It's the blueberry kind, I thought you might like to try a different flavor." As she took a bite, she did indeed enjoy it more than the regular home style kind.

"They taste better." El said as Mike watched her scarf down the blueberry Eggos. After that, Mike and El watched television. He was a bit surprised by El's choice of program.

"You want to watch soap operas?" Mike asked in amazement. El nodded.

"I watch them all the time at home." She replied as Mike shrugged. Normally, a boy his age would not be caught dead watching the soaps, but as long as El was next to him, snuggling up to him with her head against his chest and his arm around her, he did not give a damn what they watched. After the soap operas had run their course, the two lovers went downstairs to the basement. El watched as Mike worked on an upcoming campaign for _Dungeons And Dragons._

"So, have Hopper and Mrs. Byers set a date for the wedding yet?" Mike asked. All the kids had been stunned when Chief Hopper had announced his intentions to be Joyce's second husband. Will was happy for them and even Jonathan tried to be supportive. Hopper and Joyce eventually sat El down and explained to her what being engaged and marriage meant. "Joyce told me that when two people really love each other, they get engaged." El told Mike.

"Yeah, then eventually, they get married." Mike added. El was quiet for a moment and then asked the question.

"Mike, when are we going to get engaged?" She asked as Mike was taken aback.

"Well...usually, people get engaged when they're much older..." he started to explain.

"But you love me, don't you?" El asked innocently.

"El...of course, you know that I love you more than anything." Mike assured her.

"And I love you, so I want to engage you." She insisted. Mike thought it was so cute when she got phrases mixed up. Mike thought about it for a moment and then kissed El's hands.

"El Hopper...someday, when we're older, will you marry me?" He asked as he got down on one knee. El let a couple tears fall down her face.

"Yes Mike, I'll marry you when we're older." She replied as he stood up and kissed her tears away. After their "engagement", they ate supper with the family and went back downstairs to sleep in their fort. Mike even carried her in bridal style to their they held each other tightly, Mike thought about everything that had happened. Dr. Reaves's story might be over, but their's has started anew. After all, when one gate closes, another opens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AND THAT IS THE END OF MY FIRST STRANGER THINGS FAN FICTION. I AM SO PROUD OF THIS STORY. I AM PLANNING ON WRITING A SEQUEL THAT WILL BE UP SOON. ON ANOTHER NOTE, I HAVE TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE TO TOONGRRL1990 FOR THEIR COMMENTS. REVIEWS NEEDED AND APPRECIATED.


End file.
